Ronin Elementals: Prophecy of Power
by Aynslesa
Summary: Almost two years after the defeat of Talpa, a sudden growth of unexplained murders has been plaguing Toyama. Could they be connected to the strange dreams the Ronins have been having? And if so - are the culprits friends...or enemies?
1. Dreams

**Ronin Elementals: Prophecy of Power**

_Touch my skin and tell me what you're thinking_

_Take my hand and show me where we're going_

_Lie down next to me_

_Look into my eyes_

_And tell me, oh tell me what you're seeing_

_So sit on top of the world and tell me how  you're feeling_

_What you feel now is what I feel for you_

_Take my hand, and if I'm lying to you_

_I'll always be alone_

_If I'm lying to you_

_See my eyes_

_They carry your reflection_

_Watch my lips and hear the words I'm telling you_

_Give your trust to me and look into my heart_

_And show me, show me what you're doing_

_So sit on top of the world and tell me how you're feeling_

_What you feel is what I feel for you_

_Take my and if I'm lying to you_

_I'll always be alone_

_If I'm lying to you_

_Take your time_

_If I'm lying to you_

_I know you'll find that you believe me_

_You believe me_

_Feel the sun on your face and tell me what you're thinking_

_Catch the snow on your tongue and show me how it tastes_

_Take my hand and if I'm lying to you_

_I'll always be alone if I'm lying to you_

_Take your time and if I'm lying to you_

_I know you'll find that you believe me_

_You believe me___

**Chapter One: Dreams**

It was dark. The only light in the room came from the blinking lights on the computer consoles around the seven tanks in the middle of the room. The only sound came from the same consoles, and from the faint sounds from outside the room. 

Seven young women floated in the seven tanks, each just big enough to hold one. They seemed to be sleeping, but appearances could be deceiving. If somebody looked close enough, they would be able to see the slight twitching of eyelids that indicated awareness. 

The door to the room slid open, and a tall scientist walked in. She approached the console in front of one of the tanks and attached a wire to her wrist, downloading information into her memory banks. She would do this every day, and save the files in her own brain so that they could be accessed from outside the room. She would move from tank to tank, collecting data. They'd been collecting data for the last one thousand years, and soon, _soon they could have enough knowledge to attack the Mortal Realm and the Dynasty. With the information they collected from these teenagers, the mystical armors wouldn't be a problem. _

A light blinked on the console, and the scientist grimaced. "Another problem with Tank 5," she muttered. She unhooked herself from Console 1, and moved to Console and Tank 5. She looked at the console and frowned. "There doesn't seem to be anything wrong here," she murmured. "Everything checks out. Maybe it's the tank itself." She moved away from the console, and stepped towards the tank. 

The girl inside was sleeping peacefully, her orange-red hair floating gently around her head, complimenting her dark skin nicely. The scientist touched the glass on the tank carefully, checking it for cracks. 

There. Close the girl's hand, a small web of cracks. She sighed. She'd have to get a repair crew in here, and that wouldn't go over well with Queen Veda. Veda hated it whenever something went wrong, and the tanks cracking qualified as 'something wrong'. The scientist turned around and prepared to go to Console 2.

_Tap. Tap. Tap. Crack. _

The scientist froze as the sound of breaking glass echoed in the almost quiet room. "What –?" was all she managed to get out before a hand reached out from behind and wrapped itself around her neck. Her hands flew up to the other hand and clawed at the dark fingers, but the grip just got stronger. She could feel it squeezing, tightening, until her neck felt like it was about the crack. She struggled to breathe in fresh air, but had no way of doing so. 

_CRACK._

The scientist slumped to the floor, lifeless. From behind her, the girl in the tank punched and kicked her way out of the rest of the tank, glass shards littering the floor. Her orange eyes narrowed as she looked at the corpse, and she clenched her fists. She turned, and looked at the other six tanks. A tight smile curled its way onto her face. 

Moving from console to console, she began to drain the tanks, knowing that they'd be waking up soon, just like her. She didn't know why they had suddenly awaked on this day, after one thousand years of having to be experiments for the living ships who had kidnapped them from their home. But now that they were free, they wouldn't be experiments anymore. 

Tank 1 was the first to open, and the redhead inside slowly opened her eyes. She looked around as she stepped out, slightly disoriented. When it slowly dawned on her what had happened, she smiled, and white wings sprouted from her back. 

Next to her, a tall girl with short purple hair and vibrant violet eyes stepped out of Tank 2. Her expression was completely coherent, and she gave no indication as to what she was feeling. All she did was curl back her lips slightly to reveal a pair of glistening white fangs. 

Tank 3 was occupied by what was apparently a green-haired girl, but when light hit her hair just right, it glinted off of it like metal. Circuitry ran through her arms and legs like veins, and she eyed everything in a very observant manner.

The girl who moved from Tank 4 was small, smaller than the others. Her blue hair traveled down her back almost to her knees, and her skin as a very wet look to it, like she spent all of her time in the water. She bit her lip, looked at her tank, and nodded, pleased to be out of it. 

Tank 6 contained a girl with short, lavender hair. Her bright lavender eyes glowed with power, and sparks of energy crackled around her fingers as she touched the console that had belonged to her tank. She narrowed her eyes and muttered something under her breath, and the console instantly turned to dust. 

The last was Tank 7, and this girl refused to look at anyone. She kept her dark light-green eyes focused only on the door out of the room, and she tapped her fingers impatiently against her side. She was ready to go. 

The cyborg held up one hand and motioned for them to be quiet. They all listened, and could hear the sound of footsteps. Someone had heard Tank 5 break open. 

Another scientist dashed through the door and looked around. There didn't seem to be anything out of the ordinary…until she spotted the dead body of her colleague on the floor. And the broken Tank 5. And the other empty tanks. 

The scientist tapped her wrist. "This is Ruby," she said into the speaker embedded in it. "The Elementals have been taken. I repeat, the Elementals have been taken."

"Wrong," a soft, reptilian voice hissed from behind her. "We have not been taken. We have _escaped." _

Ruby spun around and removed a laser gun from her pocket, and aimed it at the light-green-haired girl. "Cobra," she snarled. "How did you escape?" 

The girl, codenamed Cobra, smirked and held up her hand. Her nails grew a good two feet long, and the tips glistened with poison. "That," she hissed, "is none of your concern." 

"Your poison won't work on my kind," Ruby warned. 

"Which is why I'm not going to kill you," "Cobra" replied. 

A hand slammed into Ruby's neck, snapping it cleanly with one hit. Ruby pitched forward and fell on her face, her laser clattering away. The orange-haired girl reached down and picked up the laser, then tossed it to the blue-haired girl. "Take that," she said, her low voice dangerous. "You might need it."

Blue-hair looked at the tight, light blue one-piece she was wearing. "There aren't any pockets," she said, her voice soft and musical.

"She already alerted the guards," Lavender-hair said, stepping from the shadows. "We should leave now."

"What's the hurry?" Red-hair asked coyly. "We should have a little fun before returning to the Mortal Realm." 

They all looked at her, various degrees of vengeful grins on their faces. "Oh, yes," murmured Purple-hair, speaking for the first time. "Let's have some fun."

_A group of women were cautiously moving down a dark corridor. There was a large window in the wall, and the stars of space could easily be seen. Other structures floated outside. _

_The one in the lead paused, hearing something behind her. She snapped her fingers, and her arm melted into some sort of weapon. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves, and turned around. _

_All four of her companions lay sprawled on the ground, dead. She looked closer at the nearest one and saw twin puncture marks in her neck. Her eyes widened, and she looked ahead of her, hoping to catch a glimpse of the murderer. _

_Behind her, a shape jumped down from the beams in the ceiling. Swiftly, the attacker wrapped an arm around the woman's neck, and buried her fangs into the flesh. _

_When the woman was completely drained, she was dropped on the ground, and the purple-haired girl walked off to find another target._

Rowen Hashiba dropped the book he was holding, completely unaware that he had even fallen asleep. "Was that a dream?" he whispered into the silent living room. 

_She was frantically trying to get some sort of machinery working. Her long silver hair cascaded down her back as she struggled with the circuits. If she could just get it working, everything would be fine. She would be able to capture and restrain them again, like they'd done one thousand years earlier. _

_Two dead bodies lay on the floor, both respected scientists in the fleet, but she took no notice of them. She just needed to get the tanks back online, and the capturing device ready to activate. They didn't have enough data to fight them yet. _

_She didn't notice someone step through the open door behind her. _

_The green iris contracted slightly, the half-machine brain analyzing. The scientist wasn't too strong, a fledgling, almost. Easy to kill. Easy to take revenge on. _

_There was a soft sound of parting flesh as twin katana blades slid out of wrists, one flesh, one metal. _

_The scientist heard the sound, and turned around. There was the sound again, of a blade passing through flesh. _

_When the green-haired assailant turned away from the room and walked out, there were three bodies lying on the floor. _

Sage Date gripped his pillow tightly, eyes open. "What was that?" he asked softly, his voice muffled by the fabric. He decided that he'd gotten enough sleep for the night. 

_Water. Water everywhere. A couple of young girls, similar to the older ones floating in the water, walked cautiously along a floating bridge over the water. _

_One of them knelt down near the edge and reaching for one of the floating women. She turned her over, and recoiled at the sight. This woman had drowned, and had drowned awhile ago. Her face was bloated, her eyes dead. Her mouth was open in a silent scream. She had died fighting. _

_The bridge shook, and the girl grabbed the edge to keep her balance. She looked around for her friend, only to discover that she was alone. _

_A hand reached out of the water and wrapped around her ankle, pulling her underwater. She struggled against the hand, but the grip was too much. Underwater, she was at a severe disadvantage. But she had to reach the surface to breathe. She had to breathe. _

_But she kept getting dragged under. _

_When she finally reached the surface, she had already joined the other members of her race in their fate. _

_A blue-haired girl pulled herself out of the water. She had to find a new place to hunt. This one was too cluttered now._

Cye Mouri sprang up in bed, breathing heavily, heart pounding. He'd never had such a terrifying dream involving water before. "It felt so real." 

_She was hunting. She was moving through the dark corridors, searching for any sign of life. She was still hungry for revenge. All around her, corpses littered the ground where the others had attacked before. Some of them she herself had killed. But she wanted more. She needed more._

_Up ahead. There was a couple of them, obviously feeling like they were almost home free. They were close to the docking bays where the ships were kept. They were almost out._

_She smiled, and sprang forward with a burst of speed. She raced past them, then skidded to a stop before them. _

_They stopped and stared at her. One of them recognized her, and her eyes widened. _

_It was so easy to just step forward and crack their necks. So easy. It was really a waste for her strength – she could've taken on so much more and still come out of it without any scars. _

_And now she had to hunt again. She still had to get revenge. The orange-haired girl moved forward with a purpose, fists clenched in preparation and anticipation. _

Kento Rei Fuang dropped the glass he was carrying out of the kitchen, and stared at the shattered pieces on the floor in confusion. "Okay," he said clearly, "_that was nuts!"_

_They stared at her, eyes wide with fear. They couldn't see her, it was too dark, but they knew she was there in the room with them. They could hear her soft laughter as she watched them cower. They shook, not even bothering to cover up how afraid they were. _

_They knew that sooner or later she would get bored with watching them shake and plead for mercy. _

_They knew that they were going to die. _

_She stepped out of the shadows…or perhaps the shadows stepped back from her…and smirked at them. Their eyes widened, pleading, begging. They shook their heads in denial._

_She raised one arm, and pointed her finger at them. Then, with a swooping motion, she drew a line in the air that slashed through them all. A second later, they disintegrated into piles of dust. _

_The lavender-haired girl calmly ran her hands through her spiky hair, and sighed. She was all alone in the dark again. As it always was. As it always would be. _

Sasaki "Kale" Kuyuurou sat up in his bed and rubbed his eyes. "What the hell was that?" he muttered before going back to bed. But just before he did, he scanned the room to make sure that he was the only one there in the dark. 

_There. _

_She spun around and fired at the bitch who thought she was sneaking up on her. A poison-tipped dart slammed into her would-be attacker's neck, and she clutched at it to pull it out._

_The damage was already done. She watched in satisfaction as the woman fell to her knees, clutching her throat and gagging. Bile rose and spilled out of her mouth onto the floor as she lay there convulsing from the poison that was now running through her system. _

_When she was finally dead, the light-green-haired girl turned around and fired another round of poison darts from her fingertips. They just kept coming. They never learned. Never._

Yamanouchi "Sekhmet" Naotoki stared up the ceiling. The image of the girl's reptilian eyes stayed with him. "Beautiful," he whispered, thinking of the eyes. "Horrifying," he added, thinking of the cold-blooded death. 

In the next room, Kuroda "Dais" Jiroujorou rolled over and sighed in his sleep, dreaming of the young girl sleeping peacefully just down the hallway. He was unaware of the dreams his companions were experiencing. 

_The woman was elegantly dressed, standing in front of a massive viewing screen. The images kept scrolling on and off the screen, each one showing a different part of the space complex that she and her family had built up from scratch long ago. The dead bodies of her fleet riddled the corridors. It had been going on for…how long? Days? Months? _

_More like years. Three years. _

_Well, she would survive this. She was the queen, after all. She would just build more Leviathans, and then lay siege on the Mortal Realm and the Dynasty. She didn't need the Elementals. _

_She was suddenly aware that the temperature had gone up several degrees._

_"Veda." _

_Veda spun around and came face-to-face with a teenage girl with a pair of brilliant red wings and long red hair. The look in the girl's eyes was pure hatred. _

_"How did you get in here?" demanded Veda. "You don't have permiss—ack!" _

_The girl had her hands around Veda's neck in a flash. She could feel her skin beginning to burn under the heated touch. "Tell me where the Gateway is," she hissed. "Tell me." _

_"Nev – ver," gasped Veda. _

_The burning got worse. "If you tell me, I'll let you take your ship and head for the nearest outpost. You can get out alive." _

_Veda considered this. The burning really was getting uncomfortable, and the Gateway on Outpost 6 wasn't the only one – she'd be able to continue her plan elsewhere. "There," she said hoarsely, pointing at the window. The girl glanced over, and saw that there was a large metal ring hovering outside. This window was the only place where someone could see it clearly for what it was. _

_"Where are the controls?" she demanded._

_Veda nodded towards a series of control panels. "They control the Gateway," she said. "It's easy to operate." _

_The girl nodded, and dropped Veda. "Leave, before I change my mind." She turned towards the controls to inspect them.   _

_Veda scrambled towards the door. Suddenly, the girl spun around, opened her mouth, and released a huge flame of fire. Veda's charred corpse hit the ground with a thud. The girl smiled. "Too late." _

Ryo Sanada stumbled out of bed and fell to his knees on the wooden floor, panting. "Oh. My. God." 

White Blaze looked up from where he was laying, and looked at his human in concern. 

Ryo was already up and moving towards the door. "Come on, White Blaze," he said. "We need to wake up the guys. Something isn't right." 

Only a few hours later, the Koji mansion seemed to be having a mystical armor convention in the living room. All five Ronin Warriors, as well as the three Dark Warlords and Lady Kayura, sat in a circle. Mia Koji and Yuli Yamano were there as well, along with White Blaze. Of the warriors, seven of them looked like they hadn't gotten much sleep the night before. 

"Okay, let's take a look at this," Rowen said, taking a deep breath. "Judging from what we've each described from our dreams, they all occurred right around the same time. We each saw somebody – a teenage girl – killing someone with some sort of power. Now. What do we make of this?"

"It's too much of a coincidence not to think there's a connection," Sage said, frowning. 

"What about the women that the girls kept killing?" asked Kento. "Who are they?"

"The woman Veda mentioned Leviathans in my dream," Ryo said. "Also the Mortal Realm and the Dynasty." He looked at Mia. "Think you could do something with your grandfather's files?"

"Maybe," Mia muttered. She was furiously writing down what they said, getting as much information as possible. She'd already written down the descriptions of the girls, and also their targets. 

"They kept thinking of revenge," Kale said. "Maybe these 'Leviathans' did something to them that they were paying them back for."

"Still, slaughtering an entire race…that's pretty savage," Cye said. 

"Some people can be pushed to anything," replied Dais. 

"Hey," Kayura said suddenly. She was leaning over Mia's shoulder, looking at what she had written. "Did anybody notice that these girls' hair colors are the same as the kanji symbols that appear on your foreheads?"

"What?" they all asked simultaneously. 

"Listen – Rowen's dream had a purple-haired girl. Purple is pretty close to dark blue, could you have gotten the color mixed up, Rowen?" Kayura asked the Warrior of Strata.

"Maybe," Rowen said. "It _was dark."_

"Then there were the others," Kayura continued, reading off the pad. "The cybernetic girl had green hair. The water girl had light blue hair. The one with the strength had orange hair. The girl with the magic had lavender hair. The girl with the poison dart had light green hair. And the girl who attacked the queen had red hair. Those colors all match Life Force, Wisdom, Trust, Justice, Obedience, Piety, and Virtue, respectively." 

"She's right," Sekhmet said, nodding slightly. "Are there any other connections?"

"You think this might have something to do with our armors?" Ryo asked.

The former Warlord of Venom shrugged. 

"Okay. So Light Green used poison – that corresponds to Sekhmet's armor and virtue. Light Blue had something to do with water – Torrent. The strength that Orange had seems like it'd fit Hardrock." Mia was scribbling information again. "Kale, did you say that your dream was mostly in darkness?"

"Right," Kale said, nodding.

"Darkness – that fits," muttered Mia. "Red had fire. The only ones that stump me are Dark Blue and Green – I don't know what their connections would be."

"There's also one major inconsistency," Dais said. "Why, if this is connected to the armors, would there be only seven dreams? What about my armor and the Ogre Armor that Anubis wore?" 

"Dais, are you _sure you didn't have any dreams?" Kayura asked._

Dais shook his head. "Uh, yeah, I'm sure. Nothing like this."

"Is Dais blushing?" Kento muttered to Cye. Cye shrugged. 

"Dais has a point," Ryo said. "Only seven of us had dreams, and there are only seven girls. Maybe it isn't connected."

"I'm not sure about that," Mia said. "I'm going to go see if Grandfather's files have anything on this. There are just too many coincidences for me to completely rule that possibility out." 


	2. The Journal

**Ronin Elementals: Prophecy of Power**

**Chapter Two: The Journal**

Mia threw down her pen in disgust. She'd been struggling with going through her grandfather's computer files and old books for the past several hours, and had come up with practically nothing. 

"Need help?"

She looked up to see Kale standing in the doorway, arms folded over his chest. "Are you offering?" she asked. After nearly a year of getting to know the former Dark Warlords, Mia had come to form a certain fondness for all of them, just like she'd formed about the Ronin Warriors. She'd even thought about offering them rooms in her mansion - she had plenty - but didn't think the Ronins or the Warlords were ready to all live under one roof. There was still some animosity between the two groups. Besides which, the Warlords often commuted between the Dynasty and the Mortal Realm, so their schedules were often extremely unusual. 

"Why not?" Kale came over to her desk and pulled up a chair. "I happen to like research. Sekhmet and Dais think I'm insane, but I don't let it bother me. Anubis understood, but…" 

"Yeah," Mia said, nodding. Anubis wasn't there. Not anymore. 

"So what have you found out so far?" Kale asked, changing the subject. 

Mia sighed. "My grandfather mentions very early on in his writings about catalysts - something about the armor power originally being too strong for the bearers to handle, and therefore it was formed into catalysts to contain it - but he doesn't go into detail about what these catalysts were. I've been going through most of his computers files and any books that he has on the armor legend, but I'm basically coming up with nothing."

Kale tapped the cover of one of the books thoughtfully. "I might have a few documents back in the Dynasty. I can pick them up next time I'm there, unless it's an emergency and you want them now."

"It's not an emergency," Mia replied. "I'm not even sure if I'm looking down the right track. Where are the others?" 

"Patrolling," Kale replied. "These dreams have left us all uneasy." He opened the book he was holding and started to read through it. "Catalysts?"

"Yes," Mia said. "You can look through any of those books - I haven't looked through all of them yet." 

Kale nodded absently as he started to read the words on the pages. This particular book was handwritten, and more like a journal. He checked the cover and discovered that that was exactly what it was: a journal. 

"Who's Maria Sainte-Marie?" Kale asked. 

Mia shrugged. "She was some sort of historian that my grandfather was obsessed with. When I was younger he was always looking for works by her, but he'd never tell me why. He only stopped collecting her writings when he started noticing signs of Talpa's first attack. That was about a year before the actual war started."

"Have you ever read any of her journals?" Kale asked.

"No," Mia replied. "I tried, once, but it didn't have anything to do with the armors, so I never finished reading all of them." 

"Maybe you should've," Kale said. He started to read aloud from the book. "'It's been nearly seven hundred years since the catalysts were stolen from my people by the Leviathans. My brother and I have our own lives outside of the clan, but not a day goes by that we don't look for some sign of what happened to them.'"

Mia looked up and over at him. "The catalysts?!" 

"Right," Kale replied. "Should I continue?"

"Go on." She pulled up a new program on her screen, her hands poised to start taking notes. 

Kale took a deep breath, and returned to the journal.

_June 7th, 1698_

_Today I encountered an elder of my family's clan, another descendant of the massacre seven hundred years ago. He had information about the catalysts themselves, not just their abduction and disappearance. I look forward to reading through it. Perhaps then I can discover the reason why they were taken away from our clan. _

_Phillipe is on his way over now to help me go through them, and I know that he is as thrilled with this turn of events as I am. Finally, some real information regarding the disappearance!_

_June 8th, 1698_

_The documents Ezra gave Phillipe and I have proven to be a treasure indeed. There is so much information that I am not sure if I can record all of it in this, but I will certainly do my best. _

_It seems that there were nine catalysts, not seven like we originally thought. Two of them must have escaped capture. The catalysts were created by the leader of the Ancients Clan, a man known as the Ancient One, whom I have heard about only in legends. They were born of nine women from both our clan and his clan, but an interesting note is that none of the nine catalysts were human!_

_June 18th, 1698_

_Phillipe has come down with a cold, and unfortunately I have been occupied with treating him. I have finally had a chance to return to the documents, but I was unable to get very far. The nine catalysts started to show their special abilities derived from the powers they held at a very young age. I would like to find more information on where the powers came from, but the documents focus only on the catalysts, not the reason behind them. _

_Doctor Mikhail has arrived. I hope he can find out what is wrong with Phillipe._

_June 20th, 1698_

_Doctor Mikhail still has not determined Phillipe's illness, and I worry for my brother. He is all I have in the world since Mama and Papa died when we were small. _

_Oh, he is awake. I should go see what is wrong with him. _

_June 23rd, 1698_

_Phillipe seems to be somewhat better, and I spent today reading to him from Ezra's documents. They have begun to detail the progress the catalysts made in their power. Phillipe especially enjoys hearing about the shape-shifting powers that the Spider Catalyst, Raven, seems to show. My personal favorite are the musical abilities that the Torrent Catalyst shows. _

_I should go check on Phillipe. _

_June 24th, 1698_

_Phillipe has taken a turn for the worse. I spend all day by his bedside. Doctor Mikhail says that the next few days will tell the outcome._

_July 1st, 1698_

_Phillipe is dead._

_August 15th, 1698_

_Forgive me for not writing. I have been in mourning over the death of my beloved twin. It still hurts to think about him. I cannot bear to continue the research that we had begun just before he fell ill with the disease that took his life. This will be the last entry I make in this book. The documents Ezra gave me have been bound into another volume, which I will give to my cousin for safe-keeping. _

Kale read forward silently, but there was no more information about the catalysts. "That's the last entry where she mentions the documents," he replied. "She must have been so distraught over her brother's death that they would remind her too much of them." 

Mia sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose. "I have a feeling that the volume she was talking about - the one that she bound these documents into - is what we really need. There are more of her works over on the shelf." 

Kale got up and walked over to them, scanning the titles on the bindings. "I don't think it's here," he said. "These look like more journals to me. I have a feeling that she gave the book to her cousin, like she said she would. What do you want to bet that that book still belongs to her family?"

Mia groaned. "That was in 1698. Do you _really think her family would still have it?"_

"Their descendants, maybe," Kale said. "At the very least, they might know what happened to it. Check your grandfather's files - if he was so into this woman, perhaps he has some information on any relatives she has." 

"Good idea." Mia returned to her computer and called up the search engine, typing in Maria Sainte-Marie's last name and then pressing enter. 

"Anything?" Kale asked after a minute. 

Mia nodded. "There's one file. A name and a phone number. The name is Claude Sainte-Marie." 

"Would it hurt to give him a call?" Kale asked.

"Not at all," replied Mia, reaching for the phone. "The worst he could do is tell me to get lost and hang up. But if I play my cards right, I don't think he will."   


	3. Some Confusion Cleared

**Ronin Elementals: Prophecy of Power**

**Chapter Three: Some Confusion Cleared**

"There's nothing here, and I'm getting hungry." Kento leaned against the side of Mia's Jeep and looked over at Cye. "Come on, man. It wouldn't hurt to get something to eat, would it?" 

Cye tapped his fingers against the steering wheel and sighed. "Actually, I'm feeling a little hungry myself. We've been out here for a couple of hours, and we've come up with absolutely - what's that?"

"What's what?" Kento looked in the direction that Cye was looking in, but couldn't see anything that could have gotten his attention. "I don't see anything."

"No…listen." Cye cocked his head to the side and seemed to be listening to something. "The music. It's coming from that alley over there." 

"I don't hear anything," Kento protested as Cye stepped out of the car and started walking towards the alleyway. "Hey, Cye! Wait up!" 

Cye barely heard him. He was only focusing on the music that he could hear. It was the most beautiful, yet sorrowful, thing he had ever heard. And it seemed to strike a chord in him, almost calling him. His body seemed to be moving on automatic as he reached the alleyway and turned the corner. 

Kento grabbed his shoulder. "Hey, man, slow down. Where are you going in such a hurry?"

The music had suddenly stopped, and Cye snapped out of his trance. He looked over at Kento. "What…what was I doing?" he asked. 

Kento eyed him strangely. "You were muttering about music and walking towards this alley like it was the most important thing in your life. Don't you remember?"

Cye could remember the music, yes, but the feeling that it had placed over him was gone now that he couldn't hear it anymore. He shrugged. "Well, whatever it was is gone now. I don't know about you, but I feel like getting out of - Kento, what are you looking at?" 

Kento, who had been looking at Cye before, was now looking over his shoulder. "Cye…look." 

Cye turned, and saw a crumpled form lying in the middle of the alleyway. He looked closer, and saw that it was a man. He was dressed in a way that seemed to scream uptown, which made him being in the alleyway strange. 

But he was strangely still. 

"Sir?" Cye asked, approaching her cautiously. "Sir, are you all right?"

"Cye?" Kento asked from the alley entrance. "Is he okay?"

Cye knelt next to him and rolled him over so that he was lying on his back. His eyes were wide open, and staring straight up. His chest was still, and even when Cye checked for a pulse, he already knew that the man was dead. He looked up at Kento and shook his head. "I think it was a heart attack. It doesn't look like foul play." 

Kento came over and stood beside him. "What should we do?"

"Call the paramedics," replied Cye. "They'll know what to do with him. There's nothing else that we can…hello. What's this?" 

He had just noticed something odd lying next to the man's head, not far from where his ear had lain when he was on his side. It was a strange, chalky gray-white substance that lay there in a little pile. Tentatively, he reached out and touched the pile.

"Hey, I wouldn't do that if I were you!" Kento hissed. "You have no idea what that stuff is!"

Cye peered closer at the man, and noticed the same substance on the man's ear. Something was bothering him about this, and he could vaguely remember something he'd read in school when he was younger…a story of some sort… "Kento, help me." He slid his arm under the man's shoulders and hefted him into a sitting position. Kento muttered something, but helped anyway. 

"What are you thinking, Cye?" Kento asked. "We could get in big trouble for tampering with a body, you know." 

"I just want to check something." He positioned the man so that the sunlight was pointed at his head, and looked at his face. "Oh, shit." 

Cye never cursed. Kento looked at him, shocked. "Cye!" 

"Look." 

Kento looked.

Sunlight was visible in the man's eyes – when the sun was pointing at the _back of his head. The membrane of the skull was so thin that the light could shine all the way through. There should've been no way for that to be possible, unless…_

"Holy shit!" Kento exclaimed. "Don't tell me that stuff is…!"

Cye nodded dismally as he laid the man back down. "He didn't have a heart attack. Someone…" He took a deep breath to calm his queasy stomach. "Someone liquefied his brain." 

Kento jumped and took several steps away from the body, eyes wide. "Okay, now I'm thoroughly freaked. I'm thinking we need to find the others and talk this over with them. Forget about calling the paramedics…let's just get out of here!" 

"Kento, you're a Ronin Warrior," Cye said, standing up and looking down the alley. "What are you so afraid of? You've fought against the Dynasty. Anything else should be a piece of cake." 

"Yeah, but no Dynasty creep ever tried to liquefy any brains!" snapped Kento. "And that guy looks pretty recent! He wasn't even cold!" 

"Not that recent," Cye replied. "Not if the residue had dried up." _But he's right. It wasn't that long ago…and what about the music? I keep thinking that the music is familiar. "Kento. Do you get the feeling we're being watched?"_

Kento froze and looked around. A chill ran down his spine as he got the same feeling. "Yeah," he said, nodding. "Let's get going, man."

Cye nodded and backed away from the man, towards the alley entrance. "We'll call the paramedics from the car phone," he said. "Let's find the others." 

Together, they left alleyway and headed for Mia's Jeep, trying to shake off the feeling that someone else had been in that alleyway with them. 

They were half-right. Someone _had been in the alley with them, when they had first entered it. But by the time they left, that someone was long gone._

"Were you seen?" 

"No. They didn't see me. They sensed my power, but they didn't see me. And by the time they noticed, I was gone." 

Trinity Kiara looked over at her older sister, Volandra, and cringed when she saw the expression on the redhead's face. "You were careless, Trinity," Volandra snapped. "That's why we need to wait for after dark to hunt. You know that." 

"I was just getting some fresh air," Trinity said apologetically. "I wanted to see the city in the daylight. I wasn't expecting to come across one of the targets." 

"You said that two teenage boys found you?" Janna Lelchuk asked from where she was casually sharpening her nails. "They sensed your power? Then they must have had power as well. No normal human can sense our presence." 

"She's right," Kala Ranier nodded, tucking one of her orange braids behind her ear. "Do you remember what they looked like?"

Trinity bit her lip. "Um…one had dark red hair. He was dressed nicely, I remember, and talked differently from most of the people in this country. And the other one had black hair, almost like a deep purple. He looked like he worked out on a regular basis, and wore a yellow band around his head with some sort of symbol on it. But that's all I remember." 

"You didn't hear any names?" Dilys Velvet asked quietly. 

"No," Trinity replied. "I left when they figured out what the cause of death was." 

"That makes…five, so far?" Kia Lupe asked. "Five dead, and two more confirmed targets. We've got our work cut out for us. Veda really made things difficult, didn't she?"

Volandra nodded. "But it's our duty to put a stop to this. Remember, none of these people are human anymore. They're just pawns."

Her friends nodded, and Trinity looked at her sister. _But…they didn't seem dangerous, she thought silently. _

After Cye and Kento's unpleasant discovery, it didn't take much to convince the others to meet them downtown. Only an hour later, everyone minus Yuli, Kale, Mia, and White Blaze were seated at a couple of tables at an outdoor café. They had all ordered, but no one felt much like eating after what the two warriors had told them, not even Kento. 

"You're sure of what you saw?" Rowen said, looking at Cye.

Cye nodded. "There can be no other observation. Someone destroyed his mind, Rowen, literally. That's how he died."

"And then there was the feeling that someone was watching us," Kento added. "But I could swear that we were alone in that alleyway. Hey, Cye, tell them about the music."

"Music?" Sekhmet glanced over from his table at the Warrior of Torrent. "What music?"

Cye looked embarrassed. "Well…I thought I heard music, before we found the body. It's what led me to that alleyway in the first place. But Kento insists that he didn't hear anything." 

Dais frowned and tucked a lock of white hair behind his ear. "Is it possible that the music was made by the murderer?" 

"Anything is possible, I guess," Cye said, shrugging. 

Sage took a sip from his water glass. "It seems as if Cye and Kento were the only ones who found anything overly suspicious. I know that Rowen and I didn't…how about the rest of you?" 

"Kayura and I didn't come up with anything," Sekhmet said. 

"Neither did Dais and I," Ryo added. "But you're right, Sage - what Cye and Kento found is definitely suspicious. We'll have to check the news tonight, and see if the police discovered anything and disclosed it to the media. At the very least, they'll mention the man to try and find out if anyone has any information." 

"Speaking of information, I wonder if Mia came up with anything?" Kayura said. She looked down at the ramen plate in front of her and pushed it away. "I don't think any of us are really interested in finishing this food, so why don't we head back to the mansion?" 

"Good idea," Ryo said, nodding. "I'll go pay the bill, and I'll catch up with all of you." 

"We'll wait for you at the vehicles," Rowen promised as Ryo took everybody's money and headed for the counter. 

Just before his turn in line, the girl behind him suddenly dropped her purse, and her coins rolled out and clattered to the ground. "Damn," she muttered, stepping out of line to try and retrieve them. 

Ryo stepped out as well and knelt down, picking up the loose coins and handing them to the girl. "Here," he said. "I hope that's all of them."

The two of them straightened up while she counted to make sure they'd found them all. "Oh, good," she said with relief. "They're all here. Thank you so much for helping." 

"It wasn't a problem," Ryo said, shrugging. 

"But you lost your place in line," she said apologetically.

"I'm not in a big hurry," replied Ryo. The girl looked up at him and smiled gratefully.

Ryo immediately felt his face heat up. The girl looked to be around his age, and unusually pretty, he couldn't help noticing. She had long red hair that was pulled back in a high ponytail, and even then it nearly reached her waist. She was tall, only an inch or so shorter than him, and lithe, with a hint of natural grace. Her figure wasn't half bad, either, and her clothes obviously showed that. 

_What am I thinking? Ryo suddenly thought, shaking his head to clear it. __My friends and I are dealing with a possible otherworldly murderer, and I'm checking out girls! Priorities, Ryo!_

"What's your name?" the girl asked, snapping him out of his thoughts. 

"Ryo," Ryo said, purposefully leaving off his last name. He'd learned long ago that giving out too much information to strangers was not a good thing. But even as he thought that, he couldn't help but wonder why this girl did, in fact, seem familiar.

"Nice to meet you, Ryo," the girl said. "You can call me Lonnie. And I won't forget that you helped me today. Maybe sometime in the future, I can return the favor." She pulled out a card from her purse and scrawled something on it. "If you ever need help, this is my phone number. Give me a call sometime."

Ryo took the card, and hoped that his face wasn't turning bright red. _My God, she's actually hitting on me! he registered with surprise. "O-okay," he stammered, suddenly flustered._

Lonnie smiled, then turned and headed out the café door. "See you around, Ryo." 

Ryo nodded dimly, then turned back to the counter. It was only after he had paid for the food and was headed out to where the cars were parked that he suddenly realized that even though he'd helped her pick up her money, she hadn't paid the cashier. 

"Tadaima!" 

Yuli stepped into the spacious living room and looked around. There wasn't anyone there. "Hello? Mia? Ryo?"

"In the study, Yuli!" 

Yuli hurried to the back room, nearly tripping over White Blaze in the process, and stopped short in the doorway. It was the only place he could actually go. The floor was littered with books and papers, and the only space that wasn't covered by books and papers had just enough room for Kale, who was sitting in the middle of the mess. Mia was at her computer, typing away, the phone sitting next to her on the table. "What's going on here?" Yuli asked. 

"We're waiting for a phone call," Mia replied. "And we're trying to get some more information while we're waiting." 

Kale growled softly as he shut the book he was holding. "Nothing in here. That's the last journal, and she doesn't say anything about the catalysts, the documents, or anything else pertaining to the armors. What time did that message say he'd be back?"

Mia glanced at the clock. "Unless he canceled his plans, we could be here for awhile." Sensing Yuli's confusion, she said, "We called someone about some information we found, but got a message saying that he was out of town for a few days." 

"Oh." Yuli glanced at the covered floor and thought about pushing aside some of the papers so that he could go in further, but at that moment he heard the front door opening, and then suddenly, the house was filled with voices. 

"Mia!" Ryo called from the front of the house. 

"Back – oh, never mind. Stay there, we'll come to you." She stood up and shut down her computer, then motioned to Kale. "Grab Maria's journal, the first one, and come on. We need to fill them in." Kale nodded and began gathering up a book and a pile of papers. 

"Can I listen, too?" Yuli asked, but Mia was already out the door. 

"Sure, kid," Kale said. "But don't ask too many questions. It's confusing enough as it is." 

Yuli grinned. The warlord of Darkness didn't mind talking to him, and usually treated him decently - unlike Dais and Sekhmet, who still weren't too certain as to why the Ronin Warriors had a nine-year-old following them around. Kayura was nice, too, but she usually seemed preoccupied with something whenever he tried talking to her. 

When Kale and Yuli joined the others in the living room, they were already seated and talking. Cye and Kento were going over what they had discovered, and then had to repeat it for Kale's benefit. "Disgusting," he said, handing the journal to Mia. "You didn't see anyone?"

Kento shook his head. "No one." 

"So what did the two of you figure out?" Dais asked. 

Mia sighed. "Well, we don't have the whole story yet, but I'm becoming more and more convinced that your dreams were definitely connected to your armors, and I might know why only seven of you _had the dreams._

"When I started going through my grandfather's files, I found some references to catalysts in a translation of some documents written by the Ancient One's clan." 

"Catalysts?" inquired Kayura.

"Yes," Mia said, nodding. "Apparently, when the Ancient One created the nine armors from Talpa's armor, there was too much residual power. So much, in fact, that any human who wore it would either be killed out right, or, if they were strong enough to handle it, become corrupted. And not the type of corruption that Talpa used on the four of you," she said to the Dark Warlords. "This is corruption on a much larger scale, corruption of the mind, heart, and soul, with no hope of ever returning to a kinder state." 

Sage frowned. "So how did the Ancient One get rid of the residual power?"

"With the help of a clan called the Oracle," Kale continued the explanation, "he managed to take the residual power from the armors and form nine catalysts, which were placed in the wombs of nine women and born within a year of each other. The result was nine female babies, born of human women, each with the power of the armors, and each more powerful than the average human."

"We don't know much else about these catalysts, unfortunately," Mia said. "Most of this information we got from the journals of a woman named Maria Sainte-Marie, whom we think is a descendant of the Oracle's Clan. My grandfather had many of her journals, but unfortunately, right around the time she located documents written by the Ancient One himself on the catalysts - their creation, their powers, their names, their purpose, everything - her twin brother, Phillipe, died of a mysterious illness. She never wrote another word, except to state that she was binding the documents in a book and giving it to her cousin for safe-keeping."

"So where does this leave us?" Sage asked.

"Mia found the phone number of a man named Claude Sainte-Marie in her grandfather's files," Kale said, "and we're waiting for him to call back. We're hoping he'll know something about the documents." 

"When is he supposed to call?" Ryo asked. 

"That's the problem," Mia replied. "He's out of town, and might not be back for a few days." 

The phone rang. 

As one, they all looked at it. "Do you think…?"

On the next ring, Mia snatched up the receiver. "Moshi moshi," she said into the phone. 

"_Is this Mia Koji?" _

"Yes." 

"_Oh, good. This is Claude Sainte-Marie. You called earlier, about some documents that a member of my ancestry had given to her family? Maria Sainte-Marie?" _

Mia's eyes lit up, and she nodded fervently. "Yes! My grandfather had collected her journals, and in one of them she mentioned a set of documents detailing the existence of nine catalysts. She said that she gave them to a cousin for safe-keeping, and your phone number was in my grandfather's files." 

"_I see. Then it is a good thing I came home early from my trip. I do know of the documents that you speak of, Ms. Koji. Maria Sainte-Marie was my great-great-great grandmother's cousin. Tell me - your grandfather, he was a researcher of the ronin armors, was he not?"_

"He was." 

"_And you yourself are following in his footsteps?"_

"How did you…yes, I am." 

"_Then you will be most interested in this information indeed. I will tell you want I know by memory, but then you will have to wait for the documents. My daughter, Micaela, has them with her as I cannot travel as much as I used to. I will tell her to stop by on her next trip through Japan, unless you are in a hurry."_

"That depends on the information," Mia replied. 

"_Then listen closely. The catalysts are connected to the nine armors as the remains of the residual power. As a result of the splitting of the power, the armors became much less powerful than they were originally planned to be, and each lost some aspect of themselves."_

"You mean…the armors aren't complete?" Mia looked at her companions with wide eyes, and noticed that they were hanging onto her every word. "Sainte-Marie-sama, do you mind if I put you on speaker phone?" 

"_So that the armor bearers can also listen? Not at all, so long as they don't mind my accent. I have discovered that it is very noticeable to tell that I come from France."_

"Wait a moment, please." Mia pressed a button on the phone, and replaced the receiver. "Go ahead." 

"_The armors each lost an aspect of themselves when the residual power was taken, and the nine catalysts earned these aspects and were formed from them. For example, did you know that two of the armors were originally equipped with wings?" _

"Wings?" Rowen repeated. "No, we didn't." 

"_Yes, wings," replied Claude. "__The armors lost their wings, and the catalysts of Wildfire and Ogre gained them. But supposedly, if the two armors were combined with the catalysts and both minds, hearts, and souls worked as one, the armors would regain their wings and become whole. The same with the other seven. Each armor would regain that aspect with they lost." _

"Sainte-Marie-sama, could you tell us more about the catalysts themselves? Who they were, what they were like?" Dais asked. 

"_I will tell you what I remember._

"_There were nine catalysts, and for the first couple of years of their lives, they were referred to simply by their title: Wildfire Draconian, Strata Vampire, Halo Cyborg, Torrent Syren, Hardrock Amazon, Ogre Phoenix, Spider Changeling, Jackal Druid, and Cobra Seer. As they grew and their personalities and abilities became for apparent, the Ancient One and the Oracle Elder decided that they needed names, and so they were called Volandra, Kia, Dilys, Trinity, Kala, Milanthra, Raven, Chiara, and Janna respectively. _

"_The catalysts, or Elementals as they were soon known as within the Clan, lived with the Oracles. As the Ancients were charged with the armors, we protected the Elementals that were a part of the armor. _

_"When the Elementals were approximately seven or eight years old, much too young to rejoin with the armors, the Oracle Clan was attacked by the Leviathans. They came from the third dimension in the triangle that included the Dynasty and the Mortal Realm - the Universe. They managed to kidnap seven of the nine Elementals, and my ancestor, and sadly the sole survivor of the massacre, was only able to rescue two of them. I am not entirely sure as to how he did this, although I do believe that time manipulation had a part in it. My daughter would better explain that to you." _

"So these Leviathans kidnapped seven of the catalysts?" Cye asked. "Why?"

"_The reason was never discovered, although we believe that at least part of the reason was because they feared the possibility of the Elementals and the armors joining together and having enough power to obliterate them. Perhaps they wanted the power for themselves. Whatever the reason, we do not know."_

"Sainte-Marie-sama, this is very important," Kayura said earnestly. "Which Elementals were taken, and which two escaped?"

"_The ones that escaped were the Ogre Phoenix and the Spider Changeling," replied Claude. "__The ones taken were of Wildfire, Strata, Halo, Torrent, Hardrock, Jackal, and Cobra." _

Mia and Kayura's eyes met, and they nodded slowly. There was the reason only seven of them had the dreams. "Thank you, Sainte-Marie-sama," Mia said. "I hope you don't mind if we call you again with more questions."

"_Not at all.__ I enjoy talking about the armors and their Elementals. And I will be sure to tell my daughter Micaela to come and see you when she is in Japan. I hope that I was helpful?"_

"Extremely helpful," Kale promised. 

"_That is a relief. And may I say one thing before we disconnect?"_

"What?" Kento asked with interest. 

"_Be careful, all of you. There are many trials along the line for you. As your people say, then, Sayonara." _


	4. Seed Assault

**Ronin Elementals: Prophecy of Power**

**Chapter Four: Seed Assault**

"So what do you think of what that Claude guy had to say?"

Rowen looked up from where he was leaning over his telescope and looked at Sage, who was leaning in the bedroom doorway. "Have the Warlords gone?" Rowen asked.

"They just left," replied Sage. "So?" 

"I think we're getting closer to finding out what's going on," Rowen said. "But we're still missing a few key elements. For example, what happened to the other two Elementals? And why are the ones that we know about killing people?"

"You're jumping to a couple of conclusions there," Sage said, sitting down on the edge of Rowen's bed. "We don't know that the dead man Cye and Kento found has anything to do with the Elementals."

"It does," Rowen said with conviction. "Cye and Kento both mentioned power – and according to Claude, the Torrent Elemental is apparently a Syren. I know you know the significance of that in relation to what happened to Cye, especially since I saw you reading Homer's _The Odessy the other day."_

"The Syrens used music to lure in sailors," Sage said, nodding. "Then they seduced them, and after they were done, ate them. But nowhere does it mention liquefying any brains."

"Well, I never said it accounted for everything," Rowen replied, taking another look through his telescope. "But it explains the music that Cye heard." 

"You have a point," Sage said, nodding. "So what now?"

Rowen shrugged and noted which constellations were visible in the sky that night. "We wait."  

"_It's coming over you…like it's coming over me…crashing like a tidal wave…it drags me out to sea…and I wanna be with you…if you wanna be with me…crashing like a tidal wave…I don't wanna be…what? What don't I wanna be?" Trinity tapped her pencil impatiently against the piece of paper in front of her. "Lonely? Afraid? Sad? No, no, and __no!" She scratched out the three words angrily and threw the pencil down in disgust. She stood up and began pacing around the dark room, humming the notes to herself. _

"Having trouble?" Kala closed the magazine she was looking at and looked up from where she was stretched out on the futon on the floor. 

"I can't figure out the words to use," Trinity complained. 

"Why are you bothering?" Kala couldn't help asking. "We've got more important things on our minds."

"Volandra has me under house arrest, remember?" Trinity asked. "Because I was almost seen last time. I have to do something – and besides, I feel compelled to write this song. Only I don't know what it should be about. I don't even have the chorus written, let alone the verses or the music." She flopped down on her own futon and rolled over on her side to face Kala. "I'm going stir crazy, Kala!" 

"Aren't we all?" Kala quipped, arching one perfectly sculpted eyebrow. "Just between you and me, I think Volandra went more than a little overboard this time. I know she's worried about something happening to us…but geez, we wiped out the Leviathan Space Fortress. I think we can handle a few wayward humans…and we can't afford to lose anyone." 

Trinity sighed and blew a loose strand of hair out of her face. The hair went up, and came right back down in the exact same position it had been in before. "I know," she said. "Still…I can't help but wonder."

Kala sat up and looked at her, orange braids falling around her face. "Wonder about what?" 

The Syren bit her lip, a little hesitant. "Well…yesterday." 

"What about yesterday? You mean when you were almost seen?"

"Yeah," Trinity said, nodding. "The two humans. Before I left, I heard one of them say that he'd heard music - _my music. The other one didn't hear it, but…Kala, it's impossible that an ordinary human could have heard my music unless I directed it to him." _

"Well, you already said that it felt like they weren't ordinary, didn't you?" Kala asked. 

"But why did _he hear it, and not his friend?" Trinity asked, sitting up and hugging her knees. "It just doesn't make any sense."_

Kala frowned. "You're thinking about trying to find this kid, aren't you?" she asked. 

Trinity looked at her sheepishly. "Is it that obvious?"

The Amazon nodded sagely. "I know you, Trin. But I also know that among all of us, you're sometimes very…naïve. You _are the youngest, don't forget."_

"Don't remind me," Trinity muttered. "That's all I hear from Volandra these days." She grew quiet and looked forward, gazing silently at the wall. Then she narrowed her eyes. "You know…that boy - if he's not an ordinary human, then he must be a seed, right? I mean, only seeds would give off abnormal readings. So, as one dedicated to eradicating seeds, it's my _duty to follow up any leads."_

Kala smirked. "You're very sneaky, you know that?"

"I've been taking lessons from the rest of you," Trinity said. She rolled off the futon and gracefully rose to her feet. "I think I'll take a walk. Want to come?"

Kala sighed. "You'll only get yourself in trouble if I don't," she said. She set down her magazine and stood up, sighing. "Volandra won't like this." 

"Let me handle my sister," Trinity said. "Come on. I want to check around the aquarium."

"Why there?" Kala asked.

"Why not?" Trinity shot back, grinning as she pulled open the door to the small apartment and hurried outside. 

Kala groaned and followed after her, locking the door behind them. 

Cye covered his mouth to stifle the yawn he'd been trying to hold in for several minutes, then looked down at his open notebook and sighed. "Maybe taking those summer oceanography courses wasn't such a good idea," he muttered. In front him, the dolphins leaped playfully around in the huge tank the aquarium housed them in. While Cye loved anything that had to do with the ocean and its inhabitants, had he known what kind of summer he would be having, he'd never have chosen to do a full behavioral study on marine mammals for his summer assignment. He had barely gotten any sleep at all the night before - every time he closed his eyes, he could practically hear the strange, haunting music that he had trouble remembering when he was awake. 

He could also barely focus on what he was supposed to be doing. He'd done nothing but doodle on the paper - random drawings of nearly unidentifiable things, and little one word thoughts pertaining to the situation he and the Ronins were facing. 

Cye drummed his fingers against the railing and looked down at the dolphins. "I bet you wish you had a lot more room to play in, don't you?" he asked them softly. "You're lucky, though. You don't have to deal with a possible alien threat." 

The dolphins chattered up at him, then dove below the surface of the water and began a spirited game of tag. 

Cye glanced at his watch, and saw that he had been at the aquarium for nearly an hour. It was nearly eleven, and he had promised Ryo that he'd meet him in the park for another round of surveillance at noon. Cye snapped his notebook shut and turned away from the tank…

…and immediately slammed into a person hurrying up behind him, sending them both sprawling to the ground. 

"Sorry!" he exclaimed at he same time she did. Cye climbed to his feet and held out his hand, offering to help her up. She took his hand gratefully and stood up. He kept his hand on her arm until she was sure of her balance. 

"I'm so sorry," she breathed, looked up at him. "I really should've been watching where I was going, but I just wanted…"

"…to see the dolphins?" Cye asked, smiling. "I know the feeling. These guys are a favorite of mine."

"You like dolphins?" the girl asked, her blue eyes sparkling. They were the same light shade as her long hair. 

"I love dolphins," Cye replied. "Anything aquatic, actually. I'm planning on studying marine biology in college." 

"Studying the ocean?" breathed the girl. "Amazing! I love the ocean, and I'd give anything to be able to study it full time. I'm Trinity, by the way." 

"Cye Mouri," Cye replied. He went to hold out his hand, and then blushed when he realized he was still holding hers. Trinity noticed this at the same time, and immediately dropped it in embarrassment. "Are you here alone?" he asked after a second of awkward silence.

"I think I am now," Trinity said, glancing around. "I came here with a friend, but I think she got bored and went home. Kala just doesn't understand the ocean like I do." She glanced at him, then smiled a conspiratorial grin. "Sometimes I can actually understand what the ocean is saying. Does that sound crazy?"

Cye's eyes widened. "No, not at all," he said, shaking his head. "To tell you the truth, I often feel that way myself." 

"Really?" She looked at him in awe. "I thought I was the only one that could. People around here don't seem to hold much in the way of respect for that sort of thing." 

Cye nodded in agreement, then bit his lip. "Hey…look, I've still got an hour before I have to go meet a friend of mine. Have you visited the whales yet?"

"No," Trinity said, shaking her head.

"There's a show in about ten minutes," Cye said. "Would you like to come with me? I've seen it about a million times, but I wouldn't mind making it a million and one."

Trinity looked slightly ashamed. "Well…I don't have any money." 

"My treat," Cye said. 

Her eyes lit up. "Okay!" She glanced at her own watch, then at a nearby sign advertising the show. "I think I can find my way there. I have to go check in at home, but I'll meet you there, okay?" 

"That sounds fine," Cye said, nodding. "See you in ten minutes!" 

"'Kay!" Trinity watched as he hurried off, then leaned against the railing and pulled a small mechanical device out of her pocket. She adjusted the frequency, and waited a second.

"_Trin?"_

"It's me," Trinity said. "I just made contact - I'll try and stick with him as long as I can. Call Dilys and have her do some hunting…his name is Cye Mouri, and I think he's still in high school."

"_Anything else?" _

"He likes the ocean," Trinity said softly, a slight reluctance in her voice. It used to be her opinion that anyone who liked water couldn't be all bad - but if a seed liked it, then maybe she needed to rethink her opinions. 

"_You've got the devil's luck, Trin. How'd you find him so quickly?"_

"I just had the sudden urge to see the dolphins," Trinity replied, "and boom, there he was. I better go. We're going to whale show in about five minutes." 

"_Trusting, isn't he? Good luck." _

"Yeah. Thanks." Trinity shut down the communicator and pocketed it once more, hurrying forward in the direction the sign pointed to. 

When she got there, she looked around for Cye, and finally spotted him standing right outside the entrance to the building where the tanks were held. "Hi," she said breathlessly, joining him. "Sorry. I had to let my sister know where I was." 

"That's okay," he said, smiling. "I got the tickets." He handed her a small piece of paper, and she looked at it uncertainly. She knew what a ticket was…she just wasn't sure what to do with it. "We can go in now, though - they're taking them."

He led her over to a man standing at the entrance - a normal man, Trinity noted, not a seed - and handed his ticket to him. The man tore it in half and handed the other end back to Cye. When it was Trinity's turn, she mimicked what Cye had done, and breathed a sigh of relief when she followed him inside with no incidents. She'd only been in the Mortal Realm for two weeks, and every once in awhile she was afraid that somebody would look at her and know that she knew practically next to nothing about a lot of the world. Each of them had spent nearly a week familiarizing themselves with the basics before they ventured out to do more than just tracking down seeds. 

There wasn't a large crowd, and Trinity looked at the tanks in hopes of seeing the whales. "Where are the whales?" she asked in disappointment when she didn't see any.

"In one of the other tanks," Cye said. "This is the show tank - they don't let any of them in until its time for performance. There's about ten minutes before the show for people to just walk around and look at the whales – we can go up there." He pointed to a catwalk that bordered the tanks. "You can see all three tanks from there. They have three orcas here - a male, a female, and their one-year-old daughter. The daughter's name is Daphne - she's my favorite." 

Trinity smiled genuinely. "I like the name Daphne. When I was younger, there was this dolphin who used to live right outside my house - we lived on the shore - and I called her Daphne." This was a true story - but what Cye didn't know was that it had been nearly one thousand years since then. 

The two climbed the catwalk and joined a group of children in looking down at the tanks. Trinity laughed when she spotted the small form of the whale called Daphne swimming around her tank. The show tank was massive, and the other two tanks - a large one housing the mother and daughter, and a slightly smaller but still huge tank where the father swam - were impressive. Despite the fact that she was supposed to be keeping an eye on the seed, she found that she was actually enjoying herself. 

Suddenly, from beside them came a startled shriek. "Hiyachi!" a young woman screamed. "Hiyachi!" She was pointing down at the tank, and Trinity gasped when she saw that one of the children from the group had fallen from the catwalk and was in the water. "He can't swim!" the group leader shouted. "Hiyachi!" 

"Take this," Cye said, pulling off his shirt and thrusting it into Trinity's hands. Before she could ask him what he was doing, he had hauled himself up onto the railing surrounding the catwalk and launched himself into a perfect swan dive. He hit the water without so much as a splash, just as the unconscious little boy stopped floating and began to sink. 

Trinity gripped the railing tightly, mixed feelings rising. The catwalk was high enough up that the impact from the water would knock anybody not expecting it out, as it had with the little boy. And the tank was deep enough…all she needed to do was dive right in and hold Cye – _the seed – down long enough. She didn't have to worry about air, of course…and as for the boy, he was probably already gone. _

_But why would a seed jump in to save a human child? she thought uncertainly. The whale handlers were already running to where the boy had fallen, and were exclaiming to each other in excitement. Something about having trouble seeing around the whale…and it had already been too long…_

Trinity gasped when, suddenly, Cye appeared from underneath the whale and broke through the surface, Hiyachi in his arms. He swam over to the edge of the tank and handed the boy off to the nearest handler, who immediately began mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Cye pulled himself out of the water and sat on the edge of the tank, wiping his soaked hair out of his eyes and breathing heavily. 

Stunned, Trinity wasted no time in hurrying to where Cye was sitting. "That was amazing!" she gasped. "You saved his life!" 

Cye looked over at where they were still giving Hiyachi CPR. "I don't know," he said doubtfully. "We were under there for awhile, and it was cold. I hope he's okay." At that moment, Hiyachi gave a couple of choked coughs, regurgitated some water, and then the handler pronounced that he was breathing on his own.

Several people came up and offered their congratulations and cries of amazement to Cye, who just waved it off. He took the shirt that Trinity offered him and pulled his over his head, then left the tank and headed for the exit. "Sorry," he said to Trinity as she followed him, "but suddenly I feel like getting out of here. I don't need publicity." 

_A seed who just saved a life and__ wants to be away from the spotlight? Trinity thought in amazement. "But you're a hero!" she exclaimed._

Cye shook his head ruefully. "If I got publicity every time someone called me that, I'd be the most famous man in the world." They had just reached the exit when they heard the high-pitched voice cry out behind him.

"That's the man who pushed me!" shouted Hiyachi.

Cye and Trinity spun around, and saw Hiyachi pointing at a tall man of about twenty who was standing near the emergency exit. At the boy's words, the man spun around and grabbed the handle, yanking it open and running through. But not before Trinity felt his fear, and knew without a doubt what he was. _A SEED! _

"STOP!" she shouted, taking off at top speed towards the door. She heard pounding footsteps behind her, and glanced over her shoulder only briefly to see Cye following behind. They hit the door at the same time, knocking it open and stumbling through. 

The door led outside, and Cye scanned the crowd. "There!" he shouted, pointing at a man who was running full speed towards the aquarium parking lot. 

"Damn it!" Trinity cursed. She couldn't let an unmarked seed get away - she hadn't had time to register his features, and if he got away now there was no telling when they'd catch him. She sprinted forward, wishing briefly that she were Dilys (the cyborg had once beaten a cheetah in a race), then forgetting the thought instantly as she focused entirely on catching the seed. 

They broke through the crowd, and Trinity glanced over again, only to be amazed that Cye was keeping pace with her. They were rapidly gaining on the seed, who didn't seem to have the physical prowess that generally came with the malicious attitude. _This is one seed that's not going to return to the Universe! Trinity thought gleefully - just as the seed skidded to a stop, spun around, and opened his palm._

A bright flash of light erupted from the palm, and Cye pushed Trinity to the ground just as it whipped past. Trinity stared at the melting cement that was where she had been standing, then looked up at Cye in amazement. _Amazing reflexes! _

The seed cursed softly, then focused and took aim on them. "Move," Trinity growled, shoving Cye aside. Breaking her cover was forbidden - but she didn't have a choice. There were too many innocents around to risk the seed getting another shot off. If she had to, she'd just kill Cye afterwards. 

Trinity reached under her shirt and removed the light blue crystal that hung around her neck. "**Torrent Syren!" she shouted, holding it up above her head. "****Change!" **

There was the familiar rush of cool water as it erupted from the crystal, falling down and wrapping around her like a cloak. Her human clothes disappeared, and the water parted to form the shape of her battle armor, her sandals, skirt, and chest covering appearing in quick succession. The crystal itself elongated into her Trident, which she pulled down and held ready. 

The seed's eyes widened, and she saw him mouth the word _Elemental - a sure sign that he was almost completely corrupted. Trinity stood there, Trident held ready. The seed made no move to escape as she summoned her sure-kill attack. "**Tsuna Rhapsody!" **_

People screamed as the huge tidal wave appeared from seemingly out of nowhere and crashed into the seed…then clapped when they realized they were in no danger, and the strange man who was a laser for a hand had been completely wiped out. Trinity bent over and drew in a few deep breaths. _Volandra is going to kill me, she thought miserably. _

Suddenly, from behind her, she felt the unmistakable presence of another seed, and spun around just in time to see a person launch towards her, a huge sword in her hand - _it can't be! - and Trinity knew that she wouldn't have the strength to move. _

_Clang!_

The sword came down, and hit an armored arm that had suddenly been thrust in front of it. The Leviathan holding the sword stumbled back, and Trinity stared at the armor-clad person in front of her.

"Cye!" she gasped, shocked. He was dressed in some sort of skintight light blue and white subarmor, and had a fierce look on his face. 

"Get out of here!" he shouted. 

"She'll kill you!" Trinity protested. 

"She's right," the Leviathan snarled as the sword blade burst into flames and she charged forward. 

Cye raised his arms into the air, and in his hands Trinity saw a light blue sphere. Her eyes widened - _I don't believe it! - even as he shouted, "**Armor of the Torrent, Dao SHIN!"**_

In a burst of cherry blossoms and ribbons, the Armor of the Torrent appeared on Cye. He removed his yari and pointed it at the Leviathan. "I don't know what you are," he said, "but you're not going to harm innocent people! **Super Wave Smasher!" **

The Torrent's sure-kill slammed into the Fire Leviathan, who let out a shrieking scream as it cut right through her armor. Cye's eyes widened when he realized that all he'd done was destroy some of her armor, revealing unblemished skin in her midsection. 

Trinity shot forward from beside him and charged forward. She struck swiftly, the prongs of the Trident slamming into and through the Leviathan's stomach. The Leviathan screamed again, and with time, fell forward as Trinity removed the Trident. She was dead before she hit the ground.

People started to shout as they realized that the danger was over, and Trinity looked around frantically. Then she ran back to Cye and grabbed his arm. "Come on!" she hissed. "I have to get out of here!" 

Cye nodded from behind his faceplate, then grabbed her hand and pulled her after him, towards the edge of the parking lot. The aquarium, fortunately, was right on the water.

By the time anyone reached the water's edge, there wasn't so much as a ripple left behind by the mysterious teenagers they had seen. 


	5. Pact of Trust

**Ronin Elementals: Prophecy of Power**

**Chapter Five: Pact of Trust**

The waters were calm in the small cove nearly five miles from the aquarium. The cove consisted of a secluded beach, surrounded by cliffs, and several trees that gave it plenty of shade. The water itself was an inlet, and if it weren't for the section that led to the ocean, it could've almost been a lake. 

There was a ripple in the water, and then two figures broke through the surface. The two swam easily towards the shore, and pulled themselves out of the water in a matter of minutes. 

Trinity shook out her hair, immediately absorbing the water into her skin. She looked over at her companion, who was just removing the light blue helmet that covered his face. Cye ran a hand through his own shaggy red hair, which had been flattened with sweat. After a couple of run-throughs, it managed to return to its somewhat out-of-control state. 

"I don't think we were followed," Trinity said after a few minutes. She fingered the Trident that she held in her hand, and glanced over at Cye nervously. He was staring at the water silently.

"What's going on?" he finally asked, as she knew he would. "What were those things?"

Trinity bit her lip. "The first was a premature Leviathan - a seed. The second was a Leviathan in her adolescent form - looks like a mature one, but lacks the starship that makes up her true body." 

"You're one of the Ronin Elementals," Cye said quietly, matter-of-factly. 

"And you're one of the Ronin Warriors," Trinity replied. She shook her head in confusion. "I don't understand, though…how could a seed be a Ronin Warrior?"

"I'm not a seed," Cye said, frowning. "What makes you think that?"

"You have an abnormal energy reading," Trinity replied earnestly. "All seeds give them off - it's how we determine who is human and who is not. Once we've targeted a seed, then we kill it before it can fully mature."

"I'm confused," Cye groaned. "But I can assure you - I'm _not a seed. As for the abnormal reading - that's most likely due to the fact that I use mystical armor. There __are humans that exist above the normal restrictions of humankind." _

Trinity rolled her eyes. "Oh, I know that. Ancients and Oracles - and we've learned how to distinguish those readings from seeds. Anything else is a seed."

Cye shook his head. "No, that's not necessarily true. There are other types of people, too - people touched by the supernatural. Magic, that sort of thing. There are  a lot of them in the world today." 

A sinking feeling began to form in Trinity's stomach, and she swallowed hard. "You mean – not everything with an abnormal energy reading is a seed?"

Cye nodded. "You didn't know that?" he asked cautiously.

Trinity shook her head. "I…I thought I was just killing seeds! We knew that Veda had planted several here in the Mortal Realm, and that we wouldn't have much time to track them down before they matured - and I knew that there were differences in the energy readings of the seeds we were killing, but I just thought that meant they were different types of Leviathans - by the Oracle, we've been killing innocent humans?!" Trinity was nearly hyperventilating during this sudden tidal wave realization, and all Cye could do was sit there and stare at her. 

Trinity covered her face with her hands and felt tears run down her cheeks. "We're just trying to _protect the humans!" she sobbed. "Not __kill them!" _

"You made a mistake," Cye said softly. "No doubt some of the ones you killed were seeds - but Trinity, you've got to do something now. You've got to stop the other Elementals. You've got to make them realize that they can't just slaughter people without knowing who they really are. This isn't like when you attacked the Leviathans back in the Universe - you don't know who the enemy really is now."

Trinity looked up and stared at him. "How did you know about the Universe?" she whispered. 

Cye grimaced. "I - and the rest of us - all had dreams about two weeks ago. We saw you and the other Elementals attacking the Leviathans, slaughtering them."

"They deserved it," Trinity said coldly. "They stole us, forced us through tests, locked us up and treated us like lab rats. They only wanted our power. They wanted enough power to be able to destroy the Dynasty and then the Mortal Realm - and they were nearly there, too. But so were we. The whole time we were imprisoned, we were plotting our escape. Kala broke out of her capsule first, and then released the rest of us. The first thing on our mind was revenge, and we destroyed them. 

"Then Volandra found out that Veda had sent seeds to the Mortal Realm, and we knew we had to come here. Our revenge wasn't going to be complete until every last Leviathan was destroyed." Trinity clutched the Trident hard, her knuckles turning white. Cye looked at her quietly. "For two weeks, we've been watching, waiting, and taking the lives of the seeds. But now - now everything is different." Suddenly all the anger seemed to have drained out of her, and she seemed to go limp. "The seeds are maturing before we can get to them - and all because we wasted time attacking anybody with an abnormal reading, instead of trying to positively locate the seeds. We've failed as Ronins."

"No," Cye said firmly. "You made mistakes, yes. You did some things that you shouldn't have, yes. But you haven't failed. There's still a chance for you to set things right. If you go to the other Elementals, tell them what you know…"

"They'll never listen," Trinity said miserably. "I'm the youngest - the naïve Torrent, the weakest member of the group. I'm the one who always wanted to find a solution other than fighting. Not like Kala, who has enough strength to best all of us at once. Not like Dilys, who truly has a fighter's spirit. Not like Janna, who can somehow be suspicious of anyone until proven otherwise. I wish I had those traits."

"But you've got your own virtue, your own jin," Cye said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "I should know, Trinity. I'm a Torrent, too. And we both share the same mark. I see my symbol on your shoulder, and you see the mark on my brow."

Trinity looked up, and saw the glowing kanji of Shin, of Trust, on his forehead. "Trust," she said softly. "I remember the Ancient One telling us once, that each of the armors embodied a virtue - but I never knew that they were part of us."

"We're connected," Cye said. "I can feel it. It's why I knew, instantly, that I could trust you the moment I saw you - even though I didn't know you."

"I think I felt it, too," Trinity replied. "I thought you were a seed, and I knew I should kill you - but I knew I didn't want to. I was unconsciously searching for a reason not to, and you've given me a very good one. I think that killing  you would be like killing a part of me."

Cye smiled slightly. "So are we in agreement? We work together, instead of against each other?"

Trinity nodded, and blushed slightly. "Yes," she said, smiling back. 

Cye touched the symbol of Torrent that was burned into Trinity's skin, and when he did, it instantly began to glow the same light blue as the kanji. Then, at once, both glows died down. "We should get out of here," he said. "No doubt the attack on the aquarium made the news, and my friends will be worried." He stood up, and held out his hand to her. Trinity took it and let him pull her up. "You'll come back with me - until you feel you can talk to your friends."

"Talking won't work," Trinity said with absolute certainty. "They hate the Leviathans even more than I do. I'll have to show them, instead." 

Cye nodded. He looked down at himself, then at her. "Maybe we should go back to civilian clothes," he said. "We might attract a little unwanted attention like this."

In a swirl of water, cherry blossoms, and ribbons, Trinity and Cye cast away their armor and weapons and returned to the civilian clothes they'd been wearing at the aquarium. The only difference was that Cye's jeans and T-shirt were now dry. 

Suddenly, as Cye began looking for a path out of the cove, Trinity grabbed his arm and stopped him. "Cye," she gasped, "I just realized!" 

"What?" Cye looked at her, concerned.

"If I thought _you were a seed - then if the others meet your friends, they might think __they're seeds! And they might fight each other!" Trinity swallowed hard. "They don't know that the mystical armors have bearers in this world - and your friends won't know they aren't the enemy!" _

Cye paled at the realization. "I think we need to get back -_ now."_

Kento frowned as he looked around the aquarium. The police had blocked off the parking lot where the two bodies had been left, and most of the crowd had dispersed. But Kento had seen the amateur video that the press had gotten a hold of, had seen the Armor of the Torrent fighting alongside the strange girl in her own set of armor. Mia seemed to think that the girl was the Torrent Elemental - but both she and Cye had disappeared. 

_I don't get it, Kento thought as he jogged around to a secluded part of the parking lot, close to the woods. __Are the Elementals our enemies or our allies? And what happened to Cye? If he was here, and escaped, why didn't he contact one of us? What's going on?_

Kento, lost in his thoughts, didn't watch where he was going. He pitched forward, and hit the ground hard. A strong arm pressed down on the back of his neck, and when Kento tried to struggle, he realized that the other arm had twisted his behind his back, and the owner of the arms was sitting on his legs to keep him from moving. 

"Where is Trinity, seed?"

The slightly accented voice - it sounded African - made Kento freeze. Contrary to popular belief, Kento _was a smart guy when he wasn't fighting for his life - and he recognized the name Trinity. _

It clicked. Strength that he couldn't beat, the fact that he hadn't sensed her coming up behind him, the reason she would be here…

"Elemental," growled Kento.

Kala smirked. "Right, seed. Now tell me - where is Trinity?"  


	6. Abduction

**Ronin Elementals: Prophecy of Power**

**Chapter Six: Abduction**

"That's right, seed. Now tell me - where is Trinity?"

Kento gritted his teeth as he tried to struggle out of her grasp, but she was stronger than he looked. "I haven't a clue," he snarled. 

A hand on the back of his neck pressed harder, and Kento drew in a deep breath to keep from shouting. The last thing he wanted to do was attract the attention of some innocent bystander. "She was here," Kala said silkily. "She was attacked by two seeds. And now she isn't here, and one seed is. So - where is she?"

_What's a seed? Kento thought. "Again, I don't know," he said tightly. _

Kala gripped his shoulder and flipped him around, jumping up just enough to give him room. Then she sat on him again, this time on his stomach. 

Kento's eyes widened as he stared up at the girl. _Damn, she doesn't look much older than I do! Her hair was orange, as orange as his armor, and was braided into several small braids that hung like a curtain around her head. Two longer braids trailed down to just past her shoulders, held into place by what looked like black beads. Her skin was a deep chocolate color, explaining the accent he had detected, but her eyes were the same orange as her hair. She wore a black sleeveless blouse tucked into a long orange skirt, both of which clearly showed off the muscles on her arms and legs. _

Orange…

"Hardrock," he whispered in awe. 

Kala narrowed her eyes at him, but didn't move her grip. "So the seeds know our names," she said softly, arching one slender eyebrow. "How…flattering."

"Look, lady, if you're going to kill me, at least tell me why you keep calling me a seed first," Kento said. 

Kala looked amused. "You know, if you weren't a seed, you'd be almost funny. Now shut up and tell me where Trinity is!" She leaned forward so that she was practically straddling him, and pressed sharp nails against his throat. 

"How about…not?" Kento drew his now free legs up and threw himself to the side, throwing her off balance and onto the ground. He rolled a few feet away and flipped to his feet, facing the Hardrock Elemental. 

Kala was on her feet in an instant, but the expression of shock on her face was clear. "How the hell did you do that?" she exclaimed. "No Leviathan can best me in strength, let alone a seed!" 

"You haven't seen anything yet," Kento said, grinning. He removed his armor orb from his pocket and held it high. "**Armor of the Hardrock – Dao Gi!" **

Kala shied away at the unexpected burst of ribbons and cherry blossoms, but the minute they were down she looked at him again. Her jaw dropped. 

The seed stood there, clad in an armor that she had only seen once. She took in the sight of the orange metal that matched her own coloring, of the viking-like horns perched atop the helmet, of the metal faceplate that had always made her think of danger. Her eyes trailed briefly to the weapon that he held, then returned to his face as the faceplate pulled back and revealed the determined face of the seed. 

"So the seeds have the mystical armor," she murmured. "This might not be a good thing."

Kento barely had time to think before Kala suddenly launched herself at him. He threw himself to the side, bringing up his staff to block a roundhouse kick to the face. He spun the weapon quickly, trying to knock her off her feet, but she merely used the momentum to throw herself into a mid-air backflip, and landed neatly several feet away. 

"This is going to be fun," she said, her eyes sparkling. She reached down into her shirt, and removed an orange crystal on a golden chain. She raised it high in the air. "Watch closely, seed. **Hardrock Amazon, Power Up!" **

The earth rose up around her, forming a layer around her body. Then it turned into a brilliant orange light that began to twist and wrap around her body. It formed her armor, a chest plate and what looked like a small - very small - miniskirt, then branched off into orange ribbons. One wrapped around her left arm, melted into her chest plate, then came out on the bottom to move diagonally across her abdomen and wrap around her left leg. At her knee, the ribbon disappeared to become a knee-high boot. On her other leg was an identical boot, but it only came up to a few inches above her ankle. The crystal that she was holding glowed and the light flowed to her hands, forming a pair of tight gloves. 

Kento gaped at the armor clad girl, stunned. He certainly hadn't expected anything like _this! _

Kala smirked at the expression she saw on the warrior's face. "I guess even a seed is still a hot-blooded male until it fully matures," she said. 

The taunting tone of her voice snapped Kento out of his surprise, and he gripped his naginata in preparation of her attack. She shot forward, and he leaped to the side, predicting her move as she attempted to execute the same kick she had delivered earlier. "Have to do better than that!" he taunted as he landed a few feet from her. He brought the naginata around in an attempt to knock her feet out from underneath her, but she jumped over it instead. Kento smirked to himself as the top of the naginata came away, and wrapped itself around her legs. With a pull, he knocked her to the ground.

In an instant he was standing over her, pointing the sharp tip of the naginata against her throat. "Don't move," he snarled. "I only want to ask you a few questions, but I'll kill you if I have to." 

"You really are a seed," hissed Kala. "Bloodthirsty to the end." Her orange eyes flashed. "And the end it is!" Her hand came up and grabbed the naginata, shoving it to the side. She rolled her and slammed her fist into the ground. "**Stone Spiker!" **

Kento was thrown off balance as the ground shook, and gigantic stone spike erupted from the ground around him. Dust kicked up, blocking his ability to see where the next spikes were coming. At that precise moment, he felt the ground beneath him begin to open up…

…and then he was in the air, and landing several feet away. 

"Honestly, are you that stupid?" sneered Dais. "Never _ever let your guard down around an enemy like that! __Especially one who fights with her fists instead of weapons!" _

Kento glared at Dais. "What are you doing here?" 

"Looking for you," retorted Dais. He turned towards the stone spikes, were the dust was now clearing. "Looks like I haven't missed all of the fun." 

Kento looked over as well, and groaned. "Kami-sama, she was right in the middle of it!" 

"It's her attack," Dais said, keeping his attention on Kala as she stepped out from between the spikes and walked slowly towards them. "Do you really expect her to get injured by it?" 

Kala stopped and narrowed her eyes. "Another armor," she said. "The Spider." 

Dais pointed his Chi Lin Tou at her and held it steady. "This is as far as you go, woman," he said authoritatively. The oldest of the Warlords wasn't a pushover by a longshot, and Kala could apparently see that. She took a hesitant step backwards. 

Then her expression of hatred faltered. "You…you smell like the Dynasty," she said in confusion. "How can a seed be from the Dynasty?" 

"Seed?" Dais still kept his gaze on her. 

"I have no idea," Kento said, hauling himself up after finally stopping the dizzy sensation he had been feeling. "That's what she's been calling me this whole time. I think the lady's got her wires crossed or something."

"Or something," Dais agreed. Both Ronins (one Warrior, one Warlord) stood ready to attack. "The last time we were on a battlefield with just you and I, we were trying to kill each other, Hardrock."

"The times, they are a-changing," Kento quipped. "Enough talk." He pulled back the naginata and began to spin it around his head. "**Iron Rock Crusher!"**

Kala easily dodged the attack, but there was something different about her moves. She was moving somewhat slowly, slightly more hesitant. 

She was confused. 

Dais wasted no time in taking advantage of it. "**Web of Deception!" **

The unexpected second attack hit Kala directly, and she cried out in pain, falling to the ground under the onslaught of Dais' sure-kill. She hit the ground and didn't move.

Dais and Kento approached the fallen Elemental cautiously, Kento still remembering his screw-up from earlier. "Is she…dead?" Kento asked hesitantly.

In response, Kala groaned and began to sit up. The two Ronins stopped short, weapons poised for another attack. 

Her battle attire glowed slightly, then vanished, returning to the shirt-and-skirt ensemble she'd been wearing before. She reached for the crystal lying next to her and glared at Dais and Kento. "I don't believe this," she muttered. "A couple of seeds got me."

"What the hell is a seed?" Kento demanded. 

"Like you don't know," snapped Kala.

"Actually, we don't," Dais said. "Now how about explaining why you're attacking us? I thought the armors and the Elementals were supposed to work _together."_

"I don't work with seeds!" Kala snarled. 

Dais sighed, sensing that they were getting absolutely nowhere with the girl. He looked at Kento. "Should we take her back with us?"

Kento nodded. "Yeah. I'm sure Mia has quite a few questions for her. You'll have to tie her up, though - I don't trust her not to run."

Dais nodded and stepped towards Kala. 

It came from seemingly nowhere. Kento only had a minute of warning, a slight feeling of static that reminded him of the way the air felt right before a thunderstorm…His eyes widened, and he spun around. "Dais, watch out!" 

"**Cyber Shock!" **

Rowen was not in a good mood as he hung up the phone, the conversation he had just had ringing in his ears. 

_"Koji residence."_

_"Kale?"_

_"Hai. Rowen?"_

_"Hai. Has Cye shown up yet?"_

_"No, he hasn't. And most of the others have reported in with no sign of him."_

_"K'so. Put Kento on, would you?"_

_"…Kento isn't here." _

_"Are you sure? He was supposed to meet me an hour ago and he never showed."_

_"You're kidding."_

_"This doesn't seem to be a shock for you."_

_"Dais and Sekhmet went separate ways when Dais decided he wanted to check out the aquarium - I don't think he quite trusted Rei Fuang to handle it. He hasn't come back."_

_"How long ago was that?"_

_"An hour." _

The rest of the conversation had been nearly identical. Neither Dais nor Kento had reported in when they said they were going to. Mia and Kayura had even driven over to the aquarium with no signs of them to be found. In many ways it was similar to Cye's disappearance - only in Cye's case, they had a video that gave them a _clue. With Kento and Dais, they had none._

Rowen fingered his armor orb in his pocket as he walked down the street near Toyama University. He'd come there hoping to find out something from some of the people in Cye's marine biology class, but none of them had seen him since the last class, a week before. He'd been absent that morning. _What's the good in taking summer classes if you don't show up? Rowen thought dismally. __Cye, man, where are you?_

Not far from the University was the police station. Rowen hesitated in front of it, then took a deep breath and jogged up the steps before he could think twice. Usually they tried to keep local law enforcement out of these situations - but anything would be helpful.

It was quiet inside the station, and there were almost no people waiting in the front room. Rowen approached the desk and tapped on the top to get the officer's attention.

"Can I help you?" the officer asked politely.

"Maybe," Rowen said. "A friend of mine is missing - he disappeared early this morning, and there's been no word from him. I was just wondering if there'd been any accident reports today or something."

The officer frowned slightly and turned to her computer. "What's your friend's name?"

"Mouri Cye," Rowen replied. "Five foot four, dark red hair, green eyes, has an English accent."

"British or American?"

"British."

She scanned the screen in front of her, then shook her head. "I'm sorry, Mr. -"

"Hashiba."

"Mr. Hashiba, but nothing matches that description. However, we don't always get all of those reports. You might want to check with the local hospitals." She smiled sympathetically. "Where do you know he was last?"

"The aquarium," Rowen said, sighing. "It was right before those attacks on the news."

Suddenly the officer's face fell. "Oh, dear," she said. "There were quite a few people found that were unidentifiable. If he was there…"

Rowen bit his lip. _I'm positive Cye wouldn't have been one of them, he thought. __We all saw the video that showed him in his armor. _

But then…why hadn't he come back to the mansion…?

"Excuse me," a new voice said from behind him. 

Rowen turned to look at the newcomer. She was dressed in a stylish business suit, her violet hair pulled back into a French braid, a pair of sunglasses perched on her head. "I couldn't help but overhear," she continued. "I'm Micaela Sainte-Marie - am I correct in assuming that you are Mr. _Rowen Hashiba?"_

"Hai," Rowen said. Suddenly it clicked. "Sainte-Marie? Are you…?"

"Oh, good," Micaela said, relieved. "I was worried that I'd have trouble finding one of you. My grandfather gave me all of your names, but I didn't have the slightest clue as to where I should begin my search." She held out her hand, and Rowen shook his gratefully. 

"What are you doing at the police station?" Rowen asked.

"They called me in because they suspected something odd about these attacks - because of the eyewitness claims of magic and such - and I'm one of the leading experts on such things," Micaela said. She glanced at the officer behind the desk, who was obviously eavesdropping on the conversation with unbridled interest. "Perhaps we should continue this conversation elsewhere, _si vous plait?" _

"That's fine with me," Rowen said, nodding. "We can walk to the mansion and talk on the way. I'm sure Mia will be happy to meet you."

"I'll be looking forward to seeing her as well," Micaela said as they left the station. "I've always wanted to meet the woman who unlocked the secrets of the mystical armors."

"Mia will tell you that it was mostly her grandfather's doing," Rowen replied. "She just took up where he left off."

"Nevertheless, she's well known in the supernatural circle," replied Micaela. "Now. You are Strata, _oui?"_

"Right," Rowen said. "How did you know?"

Micaela smiled. "Each element gives off its own wavelength - I could easily identify yours. One just has to know what to look for in order to do so." 

"You'll have to teach us that," Rowen said, smiling. "So, your grandfather said that you had more information for us. Maybe you can help us with a couple of mysteries, then."

"Certainly," Micaela said. "I can answer any questions whenever you need them answered." 

"Okay." Rowen brushed a strand of blue hair away from his forehead. "First, your grandfather mentioned that two of the Elementals had disappeared, but hadn't been captured by the Leviathans. What's the situation with that?"

"The two you're speaking of are Milanthra of the Ogre, or Spring, armor, and Raven of the Spider, of Fall, armor," Micaela said. "My ancestor, the only survivor of the Oracle Clan, used the forbidden power of time manipulation to send both of the girls forward into time - different places at different points of time. I've tried to pinpoint the locations precisely, but the clues are few and far between. I do know that one of them appeared several hundred years ago and was adopted into the Ancient One's Clan - but I don't know if he knew about it. It's possible he did, but something must have happened to her. All records cease after a certain period of time.

"The other one was sent forward much further - only about twelve years ago, actually. She'd be about twenty years old in appearance now."

"Why did he separate them so much?" Rowen couldn't help asking. "It doesn't make sense - one of them would be dead by the time the other came around."

"The power isn't that exact - my ancestor didn't know where they would be sent," Micaela explained. "All he could do was instruct the power to send them as far apart as they could, yet still make it so they would be able to meet again someday. Then they were gone. If my ancestor had been able to dictate exactly which time and place, I wouldn't be traveling the world in search of them." 

"Is that why you travel?" Rowen asked.

"_Oui," Micaela nodded. "My family has spent much of our lives traveling in search of the missing Elementals. We believe that the moment they appear, the others will not be far behind."_

"Well, the others are here," Rowen said. "We're pretty sure one of them is behind Cye's - he's Torrent - disappearance. The video tape showed a girl with light blue hair and light blue armor."

"I've seen the tape, and I'm inclined to agree with you," Micaela replied. "I will tell you this - your friend Cye is safe. He's on his way back to you now. Whether he makes it back safely is another question, which only time can answer." Then she looked grim. "As for the other two friends that you're worried about, there's nothing to be done for now."

Rowen looked at her, surprised. "How do you know I'm worried about Kento and Dais?" 

"I'm an Oracle," Micaela replied, smiling slightly. "It's my job to know."

"And what do you mean, there's nothing to be done?" 

The Oracle shook her head. "Just that. There's nothing you or the other Ronins can do about them now. They've been taken into the custody of the other Elementals…but don't worry," she added, seeing Rowen's distress. "They're alive." 

"Can you give any more specifics?" he asked, his voice strained. 

Micaela bit her lip and shook her head. "I am sorry," she said softly. "I can only see so much at certain times." 

"Oh." 

The two fell into a hesitant silence as they walked along the road that led to Mia's mansion. For once, Rowen was thankful that Mia lived so far from the rest of the city – it was so silent on the tree-lined road that it was easy to think things over. As he walked alongside the Oracle, he looked up towards the sky. 

He stopped in his tracks. "Micaela?" 

"Yes?"

"What time is it?"

Micaela looked at the watch on her wrist. "Approximately two o' clock on the afternoon. Why?"

"Is it just me, or is it getting dark a little early for Japan?" Rowen was looking up a the darkening sky, and it wasn't because clouds were covering the sun. 

"Hmm," Micaela murmured. She bit her lip, toying with the end of her braid. "How much further is it to your friend's house?"

"Not much further," Rowen said. "If we run." 

"Then let us move," she suggested. "I would feel much safer is we were inside a building right now." 

The two took off at a run, Rowen moving just slightly ahead of the Oracle, and that was only because his legs happened to be longer. Micaela kept pace easily, which surprised the tall Ronin - although Sage was the fastest, all of the armor bearers excelled in physical activities and such, due to their extensive training. 

They slowed only when they came in sight of the mansion, and Rowen noted that when Micaela came to a stop, she seemed only slightly winded. "You're fast," he complimented her.

"_Merci," she said, smoothing out her slacks. "Although these are not exactly sporty clothes, I find that being prepared is half the battle. I have trained extensively in many areas, even though Oracles are supposedly only advisors." _

"It shows," he said. "Come on. Everybody is probably already inside."

"Everybody except for your two missing friends are inside," Micaela replied seriously. 

As Rowen hurried up the front stairs ahead of her, he noted a slight smile on her face. He pulled open the door and started to announce their arrival, when he paused and looked back at her. 

"When you said everybody…" 

"We should go inside," Micaela said, and she swept past him into the house. 

Rowen closed the door behind him. "Tadaima!" he called. "And I have company!" 

"We're in the living room!" Ryo shouted back. 

"This way," Rowen said to Micaela, leading her through the kitchen into the overly large living room. 

They didn't get very far before Rowen stopped dead in his tracks. 

"_Cye!" he shouted, throwing himself forward and pulling his friend into a huge bear hug. "You're okay! Where were you? Do you have any idea how worried we all were?!" _

Cye laughed and pulled away from Rowen. "I was on my way back here, and yes, I know how worried you were by everyone _else's reaction to my arrival. Imagine seven people running at you at once, doing exactly what you just did." Then he looked over Rowen's shoulder, and his eyebrows rose. "Hello."_

"_Bonjour," Micaela said, flashing him a quick smile. Her attention, however, was immediately fixed on someone else in the room. "__Pardonne moi, __mademoiselle, but…you are Trinity Kiara, correct?"_

Rowen looked in the direction she was directing her question in, and his eyes widened at the sight of the blue-haired teenager shyly standing in the corner. 

"What is going here?" he said, glancing at Ryo.

"That's what we were about to find out," Ryo replied. "Rowen, this is Trinity Kiara. The Torrent Elemental." 


	7. Rescue Tactics

**Ronin Elementals: Prophecy of Power**

**Chapter Seven: Rescue Tactics**

Trinity was staring at Micaela in shock. "You…you're an Oracle!" she gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. "I don't believe it!" 

Micaela arched an eyebrow. "Is it so hard to imagine?" she asked, her accent softening the slight sharpness to her tone. 

The young Syren shook her head, blue hair sent swirling around her shoulders. "N-no…it's just that, we assumed that all the Oracles were dead." She bit her lip. "The Leviathans told us that they had destroyed the entire clan."

"There were a few survivors," replied Micaela. "My ancestor included." A smile formed on her face, and she looked Trinity up and down. "I must admit, it is spectacular, being so close to one of the Elementals. I never believed I would actually meet one of you."

Trinity shrugged. "There really isn't anything special about me," she said shyly.

Everyone else in the room was watching this exchange silently, until Sage finally spoke up. "So…Cye, you were just about to tell us what was going on before Rowen and Ms. Sainte-Marie arrived." 

Cye nodded, and glanced at Trinity. She gave him a shy smile, but made no move to say a word. Obviously she was going to let him explain to his friends. 

"Okay," Cye began. "I met Trinity at the aquarium earlier today, as you probably figured out. I didn't know who she was at the time. We went to the whale show together, and before the show we went onto the viewing catwalk that overlooks the water.

"While we on the catwalk, a little boy from a lower school group fell into the water. I jumped into the tank after him and pulled him out, but I was almost too late." Cye glanced over at Trinity again. "When the boy finally did come to, he suddenly pointed at a man and said, 'That's the man who pushed me!', loud enough that both of us heard it. At this point Trinity took off after the man, and I followed, although I wasn't sure why."

"I was actually already after him before the little boy woke up," Trinity added. 

"We chased the man out of the aquarium and into the parking lot, where he - I'm not sure what he did," Cye continued. "He used some sort of power, and both of us were barely able to dodge it. I was about to summon my armor, but Trinity beat me to it. She transformed using her Elemental power."

Mia gasped. "So the Elementals have transformation abilities, too?"

Trinity nodded. "Yes. It's similar to the Ronin armor transformations, but different in the respect that we almost literally become our elements. We attune ourselves to them so that we can call on them at any point. When I use my power, it is impossible for me to become dehydrated, I can stay underwater for any length of time, I can speak underwater, and I can manipulated water as well." 

"How did you learn to do that?" Yuli asked with interest.

Trinity shrugged. "How did you learn to breathe? I just do it." 

"Go on, Cye," Ryo said. 

"I transformed just after Trinity, and together we were able to defeat the man," Cye said. "But then we were attacked by another being." 

"Another?" Rowen frowned. "What was it?"

"A third-stage Leviathan seed," replied Trinity. "The man had been second-stage, but a third-stage is even more powerful. It took all of our strength to beat her back, but we managed. She wasn't expecting a strong opposition." 

"Whoa, whoa, time out," Ryo said, holding up his hands. "I know what a Leviathan is - sort of - but what's a seed? And what's this 'second-stage'-'third-stage' stuff? Not to mention the question we're all dying to have answered - why are you Elementals killing people?"

Cye frowned at Ryo as Trinity bit her lip and looked down at the ground. "About that - it, well, was kind of an accident," she said. 

"An _accident?!" _

"Would you relax?" Cye hissed. "Let her explain." 

Trinity gave him a grateful look. "Okay. I'll start with explaining what a Leviathan seed is, if that's all right. The rest will make sense once you know."

Ryo motioned for her to get on with it. 

"As you might already know, the Leviathans are a race of living ships. Each ship has a brain, which is the flesh and blood unit that one usually encounters. They're stronger, faster, and on an average smarter than the average human, so this world is pretty much doomed unless someone protects it.

"Before we arrived in the Mortal Realm, Volandra - my older sister, and the Wildfire Elemental - went up against Queen Veda, leader of all Leviathans. Veda was destroyed, but not before she planted several 'seeds' in the Mortal Realm. A seed is a Leviathan egg. It's implanted in a normal being, and then begins to manifest and grow, taking over the being that it was planted in until there is just the Leviathan. Seeds can be either male or female - they don't reach Leviathan maturity until third-stage.

"There are four stages to Seed Evolution. First-stage is the implant, where the seed grows within its host and connects to the bodily functions and such. Second-stage is when the host and the seed are more or less one. The host is still of his or her own mind, and hasn't changed physically, but gains much of the Leviathan's natural malicious nature and some of the power. Third-stage is when the seed has completely overtaken the host, and becomes the female Leviathan brain. She then has all of the Leviathan powers, and is almost completely mature. Fourth-stage is when the seed becomes a full Leviathan - when she gains her space husk, the starship that makes up her true form. This evolution process can take up to six months or less to complete, depending on the host." 

Several sets of eyes stared at her in shock. "They overtake _people?" Kayura asked in a stunned whisper. "Why?"_

"The build up their fleets," Trinity explained. "My friends and I wiped out the entire Veda Star Fleet before we came here. Queen Veda did this to ensure that her fleet would be brought back. This is how Leviathans are created, and this is why they overtake other worlds - to implant their seeds and grow their ranks. And that is what we Elementals were created to fight against." 

"I'm going to assume that this ties into the deaths," Sekhmet said.

She nodded. "Yes. You see, Leviathans give off certain abnormal wavelengths - wavelengths different from a normal human. We Elementals can sense these abnormalities. Unfortunately, what we didn't realize was that after one thousand-plus years of us disappearing, many _humans give off these wavelengths as well. Including you armor bearers." She looked ashamed. "Actually, that's how I managed to run into Cye in the first place - I thought he was a seed. It wasn't until he knocked some sense into me that I realized we were making a huge mistake."_

"The Elementals were mistaking humans with heightened wavelengths for Leviathans, and as a result, killing innocent people," Cye said, looking at Trinity. "Granted, some of them probably _were seeds - but the fact of the matter is, the other Elementals need to be made aware of what they're doing before they accidentally kill more innocents." _

This announcement led to a grim silence amongst the room's occupants. It was broken a moment later, when Kayura suddenly gasped and went pale.

"What is it?" Kale asked with concern. 

"Dais and Kento," Kayura said, looking at him with wide eyes. "What if they've been captured by the other Elementals - or even killed? We don't know what happened to them."

Trinity frowned. "Would they have used their armors?"

"Most likely," Cye said. 

"Then they're probably alive," Trinity assured them. "My friends wouldn't kill them until they could remove the armors." 

"Why would they kill them if they knew they had the armors?" Yuli asked in confusion. "Wouldn't they want to join forces?"

"No," Micaela said, speaking up for the first time in awhile. She sighed. "The Elementals and the armor bearers have never fought side by side with each other. I imagine that when Cye transformed, that was the first time Trinity had ever seen the Torrent armor." Trinity nodded in confirmation. "The Elementals were very young when they were taken, and the armors hadn't even had bearers at that point. So it is very possible that the Elementals will believe that the armors were stolen by the seeds, and will try to remove them from their current bearers - which will prove not only disastrous for your friends, but also for the Elementals of Hardrock and Autumn." 

"Autumn?" echoed the Warlords. 

"The name of Dais' armor," Mia explained. "The Armor of the Spider is also known as the Armor of Autumn. Likewise, Ogre is Spring, Cobra is Summer, and Jackal is Winter." 

"How will it effect Kala?" Trinity asked with alarm.

"If Kento of Hardrock is separated from his armor, then Kala will probably die," Micaela said matter-of-factly.

Trinity turned so pale, Cye had to stand up and put his arm around her shoulders to keep her from falling to the ground in a dead faint. "We can't let that happen," he said, glancing over at Ryo.

Ryo nodded sharply. "We need to get Kento and Dais back from the Elementals, and in the process explain to Trinity's friends about what they're doing." 

"It won't be that easy," Trinity said, shaking her head. "They're all older than me, and very stubborn. Especially my sister, Volandra. She's our leader, and everyone listens to her. It's her that we'll have to really convince if we want a chance with the others." 

"And we know they're powerful, if they have Kento and Dais," Rowen said. He massaged his temples. "This is not going to be fun." 

"So what's our next move?" Sage looked at Ryo expectantly.

Ryo was leaning forward on the couch so that his elbows touched his legs and he was massaging his temples with his hands. "I don't know," he said after a few minutes. "This is an extremely delicate situation either way you look at it."

"We don't have much time, though," argued Kale, glaring irritably at Ryo. "Even if you don't care enough about your man to go get him, don't think we're going to wait around on Dais." Sekmeht and Kayura both nodded emphatically.

Ryo glared at Kale. "I'm going to forget you said that," he snapped. "We have to be cautious about this. There's a lot more riding on this than Kento and Dais, and personally, I'd like to have some sort of plan so that the rest of us don't end up in the same situation!" When Kale glared at him, but sat down again, Ryo turned to Trinity. "Do your friends know about the connection between themselves and the armors?" he asked.

Trinity shook her head. "I can guarantee that. _I didn't know about the connection until just now, so I know they don't. Since there were no armor bearers when we were children, nobody told us anything." _

Ryo nodded, then glanced at Rowen. The Strata Warrior was already beginning to piece together information. "Okay. Then how long do you think it'll take them to separate the bearer and the armor?"

"It'll take about three days," Trinity said, "providing your friends will put up a fight."

"They will," Cye said, grinning ruefully. "One thing, though - how do you know for sure how long it will take?"

"It's an estimate, based on my friends' skills and abilities and what I've seen of the armor so far," Trinity replied. "Of course, I've only seen Torrent – which is why it's just an estimate."

"We might have a little more time than that, then, because my armor is the weakest," Cye said. He looked at Rowen, who was beginning to get that 'I'm-forming-a-plan' look on his face. "What's up?"

"We need to all get a good night's sleep tonight," Rowen said immediately. "Kento and Dais should be safe for now. Then, tomorrow, we split up, go our separate ways. We do our best to bait and lure the other Elementals away from their stronghold. Then, when the rest of us have their attention, Trinity will take Cye, Micaela, Kayura, Mia, and Yuli to rescue Kento and Dais." 

"We'll have to deal with Kala, most likely," Trinity said softly. "If the others are distracted by you, she'll be the only one left at the hideout."

"Are you okay with this?" Cye asked her gently, placing his hand on top of hers. 

Trinity nodded slowly. "We're all going to end up on the same side, anyway," she said. "Yes, I'm okay with this." 

"All right, then," Ryo said. "We'll go with Rowen's plan, providing no one has any objections. _Does anyone have any objections?" _

Everyone in the room shook their heads. 

"Then let's get something to eat, and then some sleep. If the plan works, most of us are going to be fighting our butts off tomorrow." 

 "Micaela, Trinity - may I talk to the two of you for a moment?"

Micaela and Trinity looked up from where they were sitting in the living room to where Mia was standing, worried looks on their faces. "Is there something wrong, Ms. Koji?" Micaela asked politely.

"Please, call me Mia," Mia replied. "I just have a few questions about the Elementals that I'm hoping you two could clear up. We can go into my office to talk."

She led the two young women into the room, closing the door securely behind them. It was late that evening, and nearly everyone had taken Ryo's advice and gone to sleep early. There had been a few mutterings complaints, but fortunately, they'd all managed to see the wisdom in the decision. 

Trinity and Micaela sat down in chairs on the opposite side of Mia's desk, while Mia took up her usual position at her computer. "What is it?" Trinity asked. 

"I was going over some information that your ancestor wrote, Micaela," Mia said. "She described the different attributes of the Elementals quite well. The first thing that I noticed was that none of them are human." 

"_Oui," Micaela said, nodding. "But I do not know the details of their creation. It was the Ancient One who took care of that. Perhaps a follower of him could explain, but I cannot."_

"I don't know much about why we turned out the way we did, either," Trinity said apologetically. "Our mothers were all human, though." 

"Were your mothers Oracles?" Mia asked curiously. 

Trinity looked thoughtful. "Well…I'm not sure. I know that they lived within the Oracle Clan, but I don't think they were part of the Clan by birth. I think the Ancient One chose them. In fact, I'd dare say that one of us was actually descended from the Ancient One's own Clan." 

Mia raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Really? Which one?"

"Raven, of Autumn," Trinity replied. 

"One of the missing two," Micaela added. 

Mia nodded. "Okay, then. In any case, your creation wasn't quite what I was wondering about. According to this, Maria has managed to write the species of every Elemental with the corresponding armor. But there's a problem. See?" She turned the book so that they could read the list. 

_Wildfire - Draconian_

_Strata - Vampire_

_Halo - ?_

_Torrent - Syren_

_Hardrock - Amazon_

_Spring - Phoenix _

_Summer - Seer_

_Autumn - Changeling_

_Winter - Druid_

"I'm sure you can see what I mean," Mia said after a moment. "Every armor has a species - except for Halo. I'm curious as to why."

"Simple," Trinity said. "Nobody knew what Dilys was."

Mia's confusion was apparent on her face. 

Micaela laughed slightly. "It is not that hard to see why. You see, the Elementals were born one thousand years ago - back when technology was about as advanced as a butter churn. When Dilys was born, nobody had a concept about circuits, electricity, or machinery. So when it came time to identify the species of each Elemental, Halo was left blank." 

"I was only about a year old when they named us, but I remember many of the Elders wanting to call her a Witch," Trinity said thoughtfully. "After all, she could do things that many associated with witchcraft back then. But the Ancient One pointed out that she couldn't be a Witch, because those powers when to Chiara, the Winter Element." 

"The Druid," Mia said. 

"Right," Trinity replied. "The Ancient One deduced that it was possible that Dilys was a species that we couldn't comprehend yet, but that she was important - so the Elders just left it at that. Knowing what we do now, we can now fill in the rest of that list - Dilys is a Cyborg." 

"Part machine, part human," Mia muttered as she typed the information into the computer. "You know, though, it makes sense. After all, Halo's sure-kill does revolve around lightning."

"I am certain that there will be many connections between the Elementals and the armors," Micaela said. She ran a finger casually through her hair, brushing her bangs to the side in the process. "Was that the only question you had, Mia?" 

"No," Mia said, shaking her head. "I was actually hoping that Trinity could tell me a little more about the rest of her friends - anything that could prepare the guys for tomorrow." 

Trinity hesitated. "I know that it must seem hard, knowing that they'll be fighting them, but we really are all on the same side," Mia assured her. "So please - anything would be helpful."

"Okay," she said. Mia positioned her hands to type as Trinity spoke. "Volandra's attack is the _Flame Eruption. It's basically a gigantic fireball that shoots down from the sky. Her weapon is the Firescythe - the blade is made of flames. She can control fire and can also adjust her own body temperature. And her main advantage of Ryo is probably going to be her wings. Between the two of them, it'll be a test of skill._

"Kia is at a disadvantage during the day - she's sensitive to sunlight because of her Vampire nature. Her attack, _Meteor Shower, causes several meteorites to shoot down from her weapon, a boomerang. She excels at martial arts, and isn't afraid to use her fangs. Rowen is going to have to be cautious when fighting her, and is really going to have to think before he makes a move. _

"Dilys, the Cyborg, uses her _Cyber Shock to paralyze her opponents. If Sage can channel the electrical power from her attack, he should have no trouble warding it off. He's going to need to maintain a cool composure during the fight, however - Dilys' sensors can tell her when her opponents are getting edgy, or nervous, or scared, and she plays off of it as much as she can. And Sage needs to be very careful - her katanas are hidden __inside of her arms, and slid out at the wrist. _

"Kala is an Amazon, and she doesn't use any fancy weapons like the rest of us. She relies totally on her physical strength, so it's probably a good idea that more than one of us will be facing off against her. I can handle her okay, though - she's my closest friend, and I doubt she'd hurt me. Still, everyone else should watch out for the _Stone Spiker - it causes a disruption in the ground and forces several stone spikes to rise up from underneath you._

"Let's see – oh, yes. Chiara. Normally she's not violent by nature, but if provoked she'll attack. If Kale can just keep her occupied and not start a fight, he should have no trouble. He does need to be careful, though - all Chiara needs to do is touch him, and he'll become victim to the _Dark Touch. I've seen Chiara turn people in dust with that attack. She's also got an arsenal of spells on her side, and Nature conforms to her whims._

"The last one is Janna. Even though I've known her since I was born, I still don't really _know her. Janna keeps a lot of things to herself. But it's very possible that she might stick close to Chiara, so Sekmeht and Kale should be prepared for the possibility of fighting the two of them together. Janna's weapon lies in her fingers - her fingernails are tipped with poison, and she can throw them like darts with her __Poison Thorn attack." _

Mia finished typing up the information, and then immediately told the computer to print it. "We'll have to go over this with the guys tomorrow," she said. "Thanks, Trinity - that was a big help." 

Micaela looked thoughtful. "Mia? May I ask you a question?"

"I can't help notice something important - I sensed the Armor of the Spring here, but no armor bearer. Why is that?"

Mia's expression immediately darkened, and she bit her lip. "Kayura had the Armor now, but she doesn't use it - for some reason, she was only able to use it once. The last bearer of it was Anubis Doji, but he died during the final battle with Talpa. He was also the Ancient One's heir. He sacrificed himself to save Kayura."

"You were close to him, _oui?" Micaela asked. "Forgive me for bringing up a sad subject."_

"It's all right," Mia said quietly. "I suppose you could say that we were…fond, of each other. And I do miss him, despite the fact that it's been nearly two years." She stared at her computer screen silently for a few minutes, then sighed and stood up. "I think I'm going to go to bed. I'll see you two in the morning. Oyasumi nasai."

"Oyasumi nasai," Trinity and Micaela echoed as they followed Mia out of the room and headed back to the living room, where they had set up temporary beds on the couches. 

None of them noticed a shadow standing in the corner of the room, watching them. And then the shadow faded - if it had really been there at all. 

In Ryo's room, White Blaze stirred in his sleep as he was suddenly roused. He raised his head, looked around and saw that his boy was sleeping soundly, and went back to sleep. 

Tomorrow would be…and interesting day. 

If Dais and Kento could just hang on that long.


	8. Wildfire Revealed

**Ronin Elementals: Prophecy of Power**

**Chapter Eight: Wildfire Revealed**

Ryo was getting annoyed. 

He'd been walking around the outdoor shopping complex just outside of town for the last hour and a half, and there had been absolutely no sign of the Wildfire Elemental. He knew it was risky, being out in a populated place, but he needed to make it seem like he wasn't trying to bait her. He and the others had positioned themselves in various places around Toyama, well within the sensor ranges of the Elementals, according to Trinity. 

So why weren't they taking the bait? 

Sighing, Ryo picked up his now empty soda can and tossed it into the nearest trash can, then headed for the exit of the complex. Maybe being out in the open was the wrong approach. Maybe if he walked some place secluded, she'd come after him. _What was her name? Oh, yeah - Volandra. Hmm. Kind of pretty. _

"Well, hey, there," a somewhat familiar voice said, stopping him a few feet from the exit. "I certainly never thought I run into _you again." _

Ryo looked up and saw the girl from the outdoor restaurant, Lonnie, leaning against one of the stone walls that surrounded the shopping center. Her red hair was done up in a ponytail, and she was wearing a pair of tight jeans with a low-cut lavender blouse. Ryo felt his heart momentarily skip a beat, and he groaned inwardly. _Keep your hormones in check, Sanada, he scolded himself. __Yeah, the girl's hot, but you've got more important things to deal with - like saving your friends?_

"So, handsome, what brings you here?" Lonnie asked, smiling coyly. "Ryo, right?" 

"Yeah," he said, despite the fact that his brain was telling him to move his butt and get going. "And you're Lonnie."

"Correct," Lonnie said, her smile growing wider. "You meeting someone here, or just browsing?"

"I was kind of looking for someone, but I guess she didn't show," Ryo said, shrugging.

"Oh, that's too bad," she said, her tone dripping with obviously fake sympathy. 

"What about you?" Ryo asked. "Somehow I don't figure you're the type of girl who'd want to spend the day browsing in the hot sun." 

Lonnie shrugged and tossed her ponytail over her shoulder. "I'm looking for someone, actually," she said. "But don't you worry - it's not serious or anything."

"I wasn't worried," Ryo said truthfully. He glanced at his watch. "Well, sorry to cut this short, but I've got to get going."

"Sure thing," Lonnie said, smiling. "So what time should I meet you at the movie theater?" 

_My God, she moves fast, Ryo thought, stifling the urge to laugh. __Well, why not? "Tonight's no good - tomorrow? Seven o' clock?"_

"Downtown?" she asked.

"Sounds good," Ryo said. "See you then."

"Ja," Lonnie said cheerfully as he walked past her and out of the complex. 

Ryo chuckled softly to himself, shaking his head as he walked down the road. "What a nut," he said, laughing. "But I wouldn't mind getting to know her a little better. She seems pretty cool." _Although you don't know anything about her…_

Ryo had veered off the road by this point, and was now walking through the forest that ran outside the city. As he realized that he definitely couldn't hear the sounds of any humans, he stopped walking and reached into his pocket for his armor orb. _Never a time like the present, he thought. With a look of determination, he tossed the orb up into the air. _

"**Armor of the Wildfire – DAO JIN!" **

There was a burst of ribbons and cherry blossoms, and then Ryo of the Wildfire stood in the middle of the forest, clad in his full armor. He pulled his twin datchi out of their holders on his back, and looked around. There was nothing but silence. 

Feeling slightly foolish just standing there, Ryo began to move deeper into the forest. 

He was stopped by the sound of a soft laugh coming from above him. 

Ryo spun around and dove to the side as a large shape hurled down from the sky. She hit the ground and immediately jumped up, swinging a large scythe with a blade made of fire around, dangerously close to Ryo. He took a few steps back and brought his twin datchi together in front of him to ward off the blade. 

"So, another Seed with an armor," Volandra - because that was who it had to be - sneered. In the dim lighting of the forest, it was hard for Ryo to make out her face - although he couldn't help but think that her voice seemed slightly familiar. "I don't know how to Leviathans managed to take the Ronin armors, but it doesn't matter much to me." She drew her wings in against her body and lunged forward, scythe aimed at Ryo's face. 

Ryo brought one sword around to knock the scythe to the side, then brought the other one to lunge at Volandra. Volandra leapt to the side and swung her weapon again, this time aiming for Ryo's feet. Seeing the attack, Ryo jumped over the scythe and brought both of his weapons down in a swooping arc towards her. Volandra immediately countered it by bringing her scythe up in defense, and the twin datchi blades collided with the metal staff.   

Ryo suddenly realized that he was going to be at a severe disadvantage in this fight. Although it appeared that he and Volandra were equally matched, Volandra was fighting to destroy, while Ryo was just trying to keep her occupied long enough for Kento and Dais to be rescued. 

All of a sudden, Ryo was lying on his back, and the Fireblade was pointed at his throat. His eyes widened as he stared up at Volandra - she'd caught him off guard while he'd been momentarily distracted by his thoughts. And now he was in serious trouble because of it.

"Filthy Seed," spat Volandra. "Tell me what you've done with my sister." 

_She means Trinity, Ryo thought. Deciding to take a gamble, he said, "I'm not a seed. And your sister is safe." _

"_Liar!" hissed the Draconian. "Your energy waves reveal your true nature. Now tell me where the hell my sister is!" _

"And I _told you, she's safe," Ryo countered. "You and I aren't enemies, Volandra! I carry the Armor of the Wildfire, the armor counterpart to your own power!" _

The blade pressed closer to his skin, and Ryo could feel the heat emanating off of it. _I hope this is buying Cye and the others the time they need, he thought. "I'll never work with a seed," whispered Volandra. _

"I really hate to do this, but I don't think I have a choice." Ryo brought his legs together, trapping one of hers between them, then rolled over sharply, throwing her off balance and onto the ground. He rolled to his feet, and before she could grab her Firescythe, he stepped on it and pointed his twin datchi at her. And now he could see her face clearly. "Don't move," he said, fury in his voice, "_Lonnie!" _

Volandra stared up at him, her eyes wide. "Wha --?" 

Still keeping one sword pressed against her exposed throat, he slid the other one into its holder, reached up, and removed his helmet. His long black hair fell loose around his shoulders. 

Volandra narrowed her eyes. "Ryo." 


	9. Strata's Purpose

**Ronin Elementals: Prophecy of Power**

**Chapter Nine: Strata's Purpose**

_"Don't move," he said, fury in his voice, "Lonnie!__" _

_Volandra stared up at him, her eyes wide. "Wha --?" _

_Still keeping one sword pressed against her exposed throat, he slid the other one into its holder, reached up, and removed his helmet. His long black hair fell loose around his shoulders. _

_Volandra narrowed her eyes. "Ryo."_

_Meanwhile…_

"So…you're the Strata Elemental." 

"And you're the seed bearing the Armor of the Strata." 

Rowen rolled his eyes from behind his mask and sighed. "We've gone over this about ten times now…I'm _not a seed." _

"Right," Kia said from the other end of the alley they were standing in. "And I spend every weekend at the beach." 

"Well, for someone who's been locked away for the past one thousand years, you're certainly well-versed in sarcasm," Rowen muttered. 

Kia narrowed her eyes and growled softly, her fangs just barely visible. Rowen, on his part, was actually very proud of himself for having made it this far. He prided himself on being extremely intelligent, but a few minutes earlier he'd been about ready to trade in that intelligence for a good old-fashioned wooden stake when he'd felt those fangs nearly bite into his neck. His quick reflexes and training as a Ronin were about the only thing that kept him from becoming dinner. 

Although he still wasn't sure how he'd gotten himself into a _stalemate with a Vampire. He could only imagine it had something to do with the fact that the alleyway they were in was so narrow, neither of them could use their weapons. Her boomerang was too long, and he didn't have room to draw his bow. _

"You know, we've been standing here for the last ten minutes, basically saying the same things over and over to each other," Rowen said. "What do you say we both just power down and talk for a bit." 

"And _why would I want to do __that?" Kia asked incredulously. _

"Look at it from my viewpoint," Rowen said. "We're both Stratas, so I know that you must be able to see the same logic that I can. If I were a seed…which I'm not…why would I be using the Ronin armor to fight? From everything I've heard, seeds come equipped with their _own powers and abilities. And the armors were created by the Ancient One to fight evil - although the evil he meant was Talpa and the Dynasty, not the Leviathans and the Universe."_

Kia tilted her head slightly and looked at him for a moment. "What do you know about the Ancient One?"

"One thousand years ago, he fought a demon named Talpa and won," Rowen said. "He took Talpa's mystical armor and divided it into nine separate armors, but the power each armor contained was too strong. So with the help of the Oracle Clan, he took some of the power and formed catalysts, placing each of these catalysts into the wombs of young women. They were born nine months later into the forms of baby girls who were each unique, although they shared the common bond of not being human. The Ancient One helped raise them until they were kidnapped eight years later. 

"A year afterwards, according to legends, the Ancient One chose the first armor bearers. Skip ahead to a few hundred years ago, and suddenly four of the armors – Ogre, Spider, Jackal, and Cobra – are acquired by Talpa and given to four young men in exchange for their loyalty to him. The armors were renamed Cruelty, Illusion, Darkness, and Venom.

"Present day. Suddenly Talpa decides that the Dynasty is going to take over the Mortal Realm. He attacks and kidnaps an entire city of people - but fortunately, all of his brilliant planning stops there with the arrival of five teenagers who possess mystical armor. These five go up against Talpa, and after a long battle, use the Armor of Inferno to destroy him. In the process, they also manage to get one of the Dark Warlords to turn against Talpa, technically making the Ronins a team of six rather than five. But he disappears, along with the other three Warlords, after Talpa is destroyed.

"A few months later, Talpa returns. Apparently he wasn't destroyed _enough - now he wanted another shot at the armors. This time, we're more ready for him, and with the aid of the sixth Ronin and also the Ancient One's new apprentice, manage to not only defeat Talpa again, but this time get the remaining Warlords and the last of the Ancient's Clan to help us as well. And we all live happily ever after - except for Anubis, who died to save Lady Kayura._

"Present day: all of a sudden, people begin to die mysteriously. We Ronins learn from one of the last Oracles that the cause of it are the Elementals, and that the new enemies are called Leviathans. Then one of our own is attacked by a Leviathan, and somehow manages to join forces with his matching Elemental. The two of them escape, make it back to the rest of us, and here we are. Only we're two warriors down, because _someone decided to kidnap Kento and Dais."_

"So those are the names of those two?" Kia asked before she could stop herself. She growled softly. "Never mind. You apparently already figured that out. But this doesn't explain what you know about the Ancient One. If you really know him, why hasn't he helped you?" 

"The Ancient One is dead," Rowen said softly. "He died to give us the edge we needed to defeat Talpa. Anubis took over for him, but he, too, died. Now Kayura is the last of the Ancient's Clan, and the current bearer of the staff." 

"The Ancient One…dead?" Kia whispered, the fierce look on her face suddenly vanishing. Rowen was surprised to note that there were even tears in her eyes. Then her expression hardened again, and she shook her head. "I won't believe it. Not from a seed. No non-human seed will get away with lying to me!" 

Rowen dropped his bow, reached up, and pulled off his helmet. "Do I look non-human to you?" he demanded. "I'm not a seed, not a Leviathan. I'm Rowen of the Strata, and your partner-in-arms. Or at least that's the way the Ancient One meant it to be. Now listen! You've been killing innocent people. The world isn't the way it used to be - not everyone with abnormal energy readings are Leviathan seeds! As we speak, my friends are engaging your teammates in combat, trying to get them to see reason! But we don't want to hurt you - don't want to hurt any of you! We just want you to join us!" 

Kia's eyes flashed dangerously, and she pulled her lips back, baring her fangs. "Why should I trust you?"

"You don't have to," Rowen said. "That's not your job. It's not the will of the Strata. But life is. So stop taking it. And stop fighting those who aren't trying to take yours. That's what it means to be Strata - follow your instincts to preserve life." As he spoke, the kanji Inochi began to glow on his forehead, visible for Kia to see. 

The boomerang fell from the Vampire's hands and clattered to the ground as Kia stared at him in openmouthed shock. She knew the truth that Rowen had been counting on - no Leviathan seed, even if they bore an armor, would ever be able to invoke one of the nine virtues. 

"You really _aren't a seed, are you?" Kia asked._

Rowen shook his head. "No. Glad you finally see that." 

Kia hesitated, as if she wasn't entirely sure of what to do. Then she stepped forward and held out her hand. "My name is Kia Lupe." 

"Rowen Hashiba," Rowen said, taking her hand in greeting. Then they both stepped back and looked at each other awkwardly. "Okay…now what?"

"Indeed," Kia agreed, cocking her head to one side and looking at him quizzically. Then her eyes widened. "Oh, fuck. Oh, shit. Kala!" 

"Hardrock?" 

"If you really are a Ronin, then that means your two friends we've got must be, too! And Kala's supposed to be trying to separate them from the armor! That'll kill them!" 

"It'll kill her, too." Quickly, Rowen outlined what he knew about the connection between armor and Elemental. "But don't worry. All of this - luring each of you out to fight us - was a diversion so that Cye and the others could rescue Kento and Dais. They'll stop her before she does anything."

"Don't be so sure," Kia groaned. "Volandra isn't an idiot - she left Dilys there with Kala!" 

"Dilys?" Rowen looked concerned. "Halo Elemental?"

"And the best assassin we've got," Kia replied. "We have to get there, and we have to go fast. Otherwise Dilys will overtake your friends, and then we'll have a big problem." With that, Kia turned to run out of the alleyway. Rowen grabbed her arm and stopped her. 

"I've got an easier way," he said, and summoned the power of Strata. Within seconds they were rising up out of the alley, encased in a dark blue sphere. "And I wouldn't worry too much about my friends - Trinity is with them, too."

Kia paled. "Trinity? You sent_ Trinity?"_

"Yeah," Rowen said. "She wanted to go. Insisted, really. Why?" 

"DAMN IT! Dilys follows orders. _Exact orders, no matter what. And Volandra's orders were to kill anyone who tried to come after the prisoners." _

"Anyone…" 

"_Anyone." _

Rowen looked grim as they flew in the direction of the Elementals' hideout. 

They were almost there when a dark shadow suddenly covered most of the downtown area. 

"What the…" Rowen and Kia both looked up at the same time. Rowen immediately landed on the nearest rooftop, and the two of them stood there, frozen in shock, as the biggest portal either of them had ever seen began to open. 

And from the portal spilled dozens of what had to be Leviathan Starships. 


	10. Tentative Alliance

**Ronin Elementals: Prophecy of Power**

**Chapter Ten: Tentative Alliance**

_CLANG! KA-CHINK!_

The sound of metal on metal echoed in the street in front of the rundown building. Trinity ducked beneath her Trident and leaped to the side of her opponent, just barely dodging the katanas slicing through the air at her. Even the deflection of the blades on her weapon had barely slowed the assailant. Had it been a one on one battle, the blades would have met their target on the next swing.

Fortunately, she wasn't alone. 

Cye dropped to the ground and swung his legs around, sweeping Dilys' out from underneath her. The Cyborg hit the ground on her back, immediately rolling to the side and leaping nimbly to her feet. She brought her katana around to lunge at Cye, and was met by Kayura's swords. "I don't think so," growled the former Dynasty warrior. 

"Damn seeds," snarled Dilys, springing into a backflip and landing behind Trinity. She brought both katana up to cross in front of the young Syren, and everyone froze. "Traitor," Dilys hissed at Trinity. "How could you have turned against us? After everything they did to us!" 

"You've got it all wrong, Dilys," Trinity said tightly, aware that the slightest movement could slit her throat. "Cye and Kayura are not our enemies. They aren't Leviathans. They're mystical warriors chosen by the Ancient One, just like ourselves." 

"They've lied to you, Trinity!" Dilys snapped. "Open your eyes! Only ones with  those auras could be Leviathans. Normal humans do not give off those sorts of auras, this I know." 

Cye met Trinity's gaze and nodded slowly. "Dilys!" he called. "Release Trinity, and I will fight you. One on one. The winner will determine the fate of the loser." 

Kayura looked at Cye sharply. "What are you doing?" Kayura hissed to him, stepping up beside him. 

"Relax," Cye said. "I'm just buying them some time. Ryo said to find the Elementals if they didn't come after us, right?" 

"Well, yes," Kayura said uncertainly. Cye merely looked at her, and then she smiled. "I see." Stepping back, she sheathed her swords. "I'll be here for your backup." 

Dilys looked at Cye thoughtfully. "It's been awhile since I've had a one-on-one battle with a worthy opponent," she said. "Very well, then. I take you up on your offer." She moved her katana and gently pushed Trinity away. "Don't interfere, Chibi-nee." 

Trinity put her hands on her hips. "Who are you calling chibi-nee?" 

Cye nodded. "Allow me to make this fight more even," he said, bowing slightly. *_Are you ready?*_

_*Just buy me time.*_

"Go right ahead," Dilys said. 

Cye tossed his armor orb up into the air. "**Armor of the Torrent, DAO SHIN!" **

*_GO!*_

*****

The door leading to the apartment exploded in on itself, catching Kala offguard. The Amazon stumbled back and pressed up against the wall, blood trickling down her face from where a piece of wood had hit her. "Who are you?!" she demanded. 

"My name is Date Seiji," Sage said. "But you may call me Sage of the Halo." 

"Another seed with a Ronin armor?" Kala asked, clenching her fists at her sides. "Have you come to rescue your comrades? I find that hard to believe. Seeds are all so selfish." 

"Sage!" 

"Halo!" 

Sage glanced quickly over at the corner of the room, where Kento and Dais sat back-to-back, tied up to each other. Their helmets were perched on a shelf nearby, and both of them looked like they'd had a rough fight. "Later, you two," he said. "We'll talk later. Right now I have to take care of this." 

Kala glared at the warrior of Halo. "I don't know how you got out in here, how you got past Dilys," she said. "But you won't make it out alive."

"Sage, be careful!" Kento said. "She doesn't use any weapons!" 

Sage nodded once as he raised his raised his no-datchi into a fighting position. Kala moved into her own battle stance, and the two of them tensed for a fight. 

"_STOP!" _

With a cry, Micaela suddenly threw herself into the room from where she had been hiding behind Sage. Kala stiffened at the sudden invasion of a familiar aura, but didn't relax. 

"Micaela-san, please get out of the way," Sage said tightly. "This is a fight that cannot be avoided." 

"No," Micaela said, shaking her head. "There is no time for this. We have to stop Dilys and Cye right now. We have to gather all of the warriors. Can't you feel it? Can't you feel the tremors in the air?" 

"Who are you?" Kala asked uncertainly. 

Micaela stood and bowed slightly to Kala. "I am Micaela Saint-Marie, descendant of Shinomichi Osaka, the only survivor of the Oracle Clan's slaughter. My ancestors left Japan long ago, but I've returned now that the Ronin Elementals have…now that the Leviathans have!" 

"I don't believe you!" shouted Kala. "Shinomichi died trying to protect us, and it was all for nothing!" 

"No," Micaela replied. "Shinomichi survived. He used his powers to transport the missing two Elementals forward into time, keeping them out of the Leviathans' hands. He stopped the Leviathans from possessing the full power the nine virtues have. And he then left Japan to let the Ancient One release the armors without interference. Kala, it's time for our team to join with the Ancient One's champions. The Ronin Warriors are not our enemies, but our allies." 

"Your allies, perhaps, but not ours!" spat Kala. 

"If they are my allies, then they are yours as well, _mon ami," Micaela said. "I am a part of your team, as the Ancient One was a part of theirs. Fight with us, and perhaps we can complete the Elementals once more and destroy the Leviathans once and for all. Trinity has already seen this." _

"Complete the Elementals…what are you talking about?!" 

Micaela smiled. "Just what I said," she replied. "And if my words are not enough to convince you, perhaps this is." She looked over her shoulder. "Come in."

Kala stared at the new figure, her eyes wide in surprise. "But…what the hell? W-white Blaze? No, it can't be - you can't still be alive." 

The white tiger walked past Micaela and stared at Kala. "White Blaze is the guardian of the armors," Micaela said. "He's older than any of us. And he's chosen the Ronin Warriors as his new masters, now that the Ancient One is dead." 

Kala looked at Micaela, and then at White Blaze, obviously fighting between two thoughts. "I…I'm confused." 

Sage had taken this opportunity to untie Kento and Dais, while Kala was distracted, and as the two warriors retrieved their helmets, he turned to Kala. "Listen to Micaela. We don't want to hurt you. We'll fight you if you insist on fighting us, but despite the fact that you kidnapped Kento and Dais, we know that the real enemies are the Leviathans – just as we knew that, in the end, our real enemy was Talpa and not the Warlords." Dais looked at him in surprise, but Sage ignored him. "Right now Dilys and Cye are fighting out there to give us the time to rescue. I was prepared to fight you, if you attacked me, but it seems that Micaela has hit on a certain nerve. You know White Blaze, don't you?"

Kala nodded and placed her hand on the tiger's head. "White Blaze…I suppose you could say he was our baby-sitter when we were younger. He looked after us when Shinomichi and the Ancient One could not. If…if he trusts you, then I guess I can, too." 

"Hey, White Blaze, once again you prove to be useful, eh?" Kento commented, grinning at the tiger. White Blaze gave him a tiger glare, quite clearing wanting to know why Kento seemed to be implying that he was only useful once in awhile. 

"Kento, you're a nut," Sage said, shaking his head. He held out his hand to Kala. "So, then. We work together. Agreed?"

Kala gripped his hand tightly. "Agreed." 

Everyone in the room seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. Then, suddenly, Dais cocked his head inquisitively. "It sounds like that Dilys girl and Torrent are still going at it out there," he said. "Shouldn't we stop them?"

"I'll do it," Kala said. She hurried to the window and hauled it open, sticking her head out of it to look down at the street. Or what had once been a street. Now it was just this big concrete thing with massive craters in it. Human architecture never fared well when mystical armors were involved. "Dilys! Knock it off! Change of plans!" 

Dilys skidded to a stop and glared up at Kala. Cye took this opportunity to bend over and catch his breath. "What?" 

"You heard me," Kala replied. "Wait there. And don't attack them. Trinity, make sure she doesn't."

"Hai!" Trinity called. 

Within minutes, the entire group was assembled on the street, and Kala was explaining things to Dilys.

Needless to say, Dilys was much less receptive than Kala. "I'll go along with this for now only because the last thing I want to do is fight the two of you," she said to Trinity and Kala. "However, this doesn't mean that I trust any of them. Especially _him." She pointed at Sage. _

Sage's violet eyes widened in indignation. "What did _I do?!" _

"Relax," Trinity whispered to him. "It's just because you're Halo. Dilys isn't really one for sharing." 

"Urusai," muttered Dilys. 

Kayura put her hand on Dais' arm and looked at them. "Maybe we should go find everyone else before there are anymore misunderstandings."

Micaela nodded. "Then, let us – _what's that?!"_

"What's what?" everyone but the three Elementals exclaimed. Dilys, Kala, and Trinity immediately stiffened as a familiar and dreaded sensation came over them. 

"The sky!" Dilys snarled, looking up and pointing. 

Above them, the clouds darkened and began to swirl together in a massive vortex. The center of the vortex began to grow, and inside it several stars were visible. And some of the stars grew larger, until they were quite clearly not stars at all.

Around them, shouts and screams could be heard from the human civilians witnessing this. Shouts from those surprised at what was happening. Screams from those who had clearly been seeds that were now fully maturing. 

And from the vortex descending dozens of Leviathan Starships.  


	11. Tentative Agreements

**Ronin Elementals: Prophecy of Power**

**Chapter Eleven: Tentative Agreements**

The Starships descended from the vortex onto Toyama, shadowing over the screaming civilians. 

"What the hell are those?" Kale shouted as he looked up at the ships. He looked over at Sekhmet, who was caught in a headlock by the Summer Elemental, Janna. Both of them had frozen upon the arrival of the ships. 

"You should know," Kale's opponent, the Winter Elemental, said. Actually, there really hadn't been too much fighting going on between the two of them – they'd mostly just stood off to the side while Sekhmet and Janna went at it. Chiara twisted a lock of lavender hair around her finger. "Janna, we should find the others." 

"And leave these seeds?!" demanded the Seer, outraged. 

"We're not seeds!" shouted Kale and Sekhmet. 

"Cut it out!" 

The four of them looked up to see Rowen and Kia descending towards them. The two Stratas touched ground, and Kia ran over to her companions. "It's confusing, but they really aren't our enemies," she said. "But you're right, we need to find the others. We were on our way to the hideout when those bitches showed up." 

"Rowen?" Kale and Sekhmet looked at the other Ronin. "Who's she?"

"Kia Lupe," Rowen replied. "Strata Elemental."

"Nice to meet you," Kia said, glancing at them quickly. "Now come on, let's…"

Janna suddenly jerked around, releasing her hold on Sekhmet (which caused the Warrior of Summer to drop down onto the ground), and stared at something in the woods. 

"Janna?" Chiara asked. "What's wrong?" 

"It's coming," Janna said. She reached up and removed the sunglasses that covered her eyes. Rowen, Kale, and Sekhmet's eyes widened when they took in the reptilian gaze, so similar to her armor partner's that it was almost frightening. The only difference was that her eyes seemed to glow ever so slightly. "Danger. It's coming."

"Prophecy?" Kia asked, unhooking her boomerang from her side. "You two better transform."

Rowen glanced at the two ex-Warlords. "You guys were having trouble and they weren't even powered up?" Neither Kale nor Sekhmet could look the Warrior of Strata in the eye as they pretended to find the ground very, very interesting. 

Janna and Chiara reached up and removed the two crystals that were hanging from around their necks, one light green and the other lavender. Then they held it up into the air. 

"**Cobra Seer!" Janna shouted. "****Change!"**

"**Jackal Druid!" intoned Chiara. "****Change!" **

Bright lights of green and lavender exploded from the crystals, enveloping the two girls. Rays of light like sunbeams wrapped around Janna, forming the pieces of her armor, while clouds of snow formed Chiara's. The lights died, and the two Elementals stood there, poised for action.

"Close your mouths," instructed Kia to Kale and Sekhmet. 

"Look!" Rowen said. 

Staggering out from the woods at the moment was a young woman with long black hair. As they watched, she stumbled to the ground, screaming in pain. She seemed to be clawing at her skin, as if she had some sort of itch that she couldn't seem to make stop. 

"What's wrong with her?" Kale wondered, taking a step forward. 

Chiara stepped in front of him. "Wait," she said quietly. "Watch."

The woman's black hair began to change, growing bluer and bluer until it was as blue as the sky. Her tanned skin lightened slightly, giving it a slightly blue tinge, and her nails lengthened into sharp points. Hard muscles appeared on her arms and legs, and her eyes became the shade bright shade of blue as her hair. The last thing to change was her clothes, the scant blue armor appearing where they had been. By this point, the woman was no longer screaming. 

The six Ronins stood ready as she stood up and looked at them. 

The newly born Leviathan smirked. "Elementals, I presume?"

"Second-stage, right? Which means she doesn't have a ship," Rowen said to Kia.

Janna heard him and laughed cruelly. "Don't be a fool," she snapped. "All of those ships up there are for each of the seeds in this world. But I suppose this means you really _aren't seeds, or you would've already began to change."_

"Which is exactly what we've been _trying to tell you," hissed Sekhmet. _

"Enough bickering," Chiara pleaded. "We've got to take care of this." 

Kia nodded. "Okay, pair off. Rowen with me, Janna with Sekhmet, and Chiara with Kale. Surround her on three points. Use your weapons whenever possible, use your attacks if she does. Got it?"

"Ryokai," Janna said briskly.

"I understand," Chiara said. 

The Water Leviathan held out her hand and a massive spear, formed from a stream of water. "In the name of the Queen!" she shouted, bringing the spear around and slamming the tip into the ground.

"Move, move, _move!" Kia shouted, grabbing Rowen and hauling him out of the line of fire. The Cobras and Jackals managed to throw themselves out of the way just before large geysers of water erupted from the ground directly where they had been standing. _

"Bitch," snarled Janna, flexing her hand. Her nails suddenly shot out to about a foot in length, and she charged for the Leviathan. "**Poison Thorn!" she shouted, and the nails detached from her fingers and slammed into the Leviathan. Immediately a new set grew as Janna paused, waiting to see if she needed to throw the attack again. **

Four of the thorns bounced harmlessly off the armor, but the fifth embedded itself in her arm. The Leviathan shrieked in fury and swung her spear around again, firing another a stream of geysers at Janna. 

"Move!" Sekhmet shouted, shoving her out of the way. 

"_Sekhmet!" Kale and Rowen exclaimed as the attack hit him full force, throwing him back several feet until he crashed into a tree. _

"Kia!" Chiara called. "Let's do it together!" 

"Right!" Kia shouted back. "You two, cover us!" The two Elementals charged forward.

"Fools," the Leviathan sneered, preparing another attack. 

"I don't think so," Kale growled. "**Black Lightning Slash!" **

"**Arrow Shock Wave!" **

Kale's attack connected with the arrow Rowen fired, and the two combined into one streaming mass of gold and dark energy. When the geysers went off again, the arrow pierced through the stream, rendering it completely useless and giving Chiara and Kia the cover they needed. 

"**Darkness Rising!" shouted Chiara. A huge pentagram appeared on the ground around the Leviathan, and suddenly a wave of dark energy shot up from the outline, trapping the alien in total darkness. **

"**Meteor Shower!" Kia threw her boomerang up into the air over the Leviathan's head. It turned transparent, and gave the illusion of being painted like space, and from it several meteors came shooting down onto their target. The Leviathan screamed in pain as they hit, and she didn't have time to dodge.**

Then, suddenly, the ground was ripped apart as lasers shot down from one of the Starships – a Starship which greatly resembled the Leviathan they had just decimated. 

When the smoke cleared, the six Ronins were sprawled on the ground, in great pain. Above them, the Starship was disintegrating after its final attack, but another one was moving it. Rowen opened his eyes – painfully – and looked up. _*Ryo…Sage…anyone…*_

Another shot fired from the laser cannon, aimed straight at them, and was deflected by a bright silver light. Rowen wasn't sure if it was real or a dream as he watched the next couple of shots get deflected as well. It was becoming harder and harder to stay awake. 

Someone knelt beside him. "Easy," an accented voice said. It was familiar… "Just relax. You're safe now, _mon ami." _

"Tired…" he whispered, as he drifted off into unconsciousness. 

*****

"They were hit pretty hard, but I believe they will be all right," Micaela said as she closed the door to Rowen's room. She was still wearing the ceremonial robes of the Oracle Clan, although the Oracle Staff was positioned in the exact center of the mansion, casting a barrier around the entire structure that no Leviathan could hope to break, Starship or no Starship. "But they will be out of commission for awhile." 

Ryo, who was leaning against the wall across from the door, sighed. "That's a relief," he said. "You saved their lives, Micaela." 

"If you and Volandra hadn't seen the battle, I would not have made it," Micaela replied. 

"It was more her than me," muttered Ryo. "She's got good eyesight." 

"She _is a Draconian," Micaela agreed. "Speaking of Volandra, I think it is time for the rest of us to sit down and talk. I am certain that we all have much to discuss." _

"Yeah," Ryo nodded. "Everyone's in the living room waiting for an update. Let's go."

The air in the living room was tense. The room had been divided into two halves, figuratively – Elementals on one side, everyone else on the other. Trinity was standing next to her sister, although she kept glancing over in Cye's direction, and was looking a little uneasy at the suspicious looks on her friends' faces.  

When Ryo and Micaela entered, everyone turned to look at them. "How are they?" Sage asked immediately. 

"They need rest," Micaela replied. "I have placed the Elementals in the same rooms as their Warrior partners, which should also help. The extra power that each gives off should make the healing process faster." 

"Sage, if you could take a look at them later, it'd be a big help," Ryo said to the Warrior of Halo. Sage nodded. 

"If he does, I want Dilys there to help with my girls," Volandra said briskly. Dilys glared at Sage, and the young blond cringed slightly. For some reason, the Cyborg seemed to have taken a fierce disliking to him, which Sage wasn't really used to when it came to girls. 

Ryo rolled his eyes, but a look from Mia stopped him from saying anything. "Let's sit down," he suggested, pulling up a chair from the dining room and sitting in it. Hesitantly, everyone else claimed seats, either on couches, other chairs, or the floor. Trinity and Cye sat as close to each other as they could get without one of the other Elementals silently threatening Cye. 

There was silence for several minutes as Ryo tried to think of something to say. Finally, he just decided to wing it. "Okay," he said. "For those of you who don't know, I'm Ryo Sanada, the Warrior of Wildfire. My friends are, in order, Mia Koji, Sage Date, Yuli Yamano, Micaela Sainte-Marie, White Blaze, Kayura, and Dais…well, I don't know Dais' last name." Ryo frowned. "Do you even _have a last name?" _

Dais scowled. "Jiroujorou," he muttered. 

"Huh?" was everyone's response. 

"Jiroujorou," Dais said a little louder. "My name is Kuroda Jiroujorou. But don't let it get around – just call me Dais, okay?" 

Kento looked at Cye. "You know, I never really thought about the Warlords having real names." 

Cye shrugged. "Who knew?" 

"Can we get back on task?" Ryo asked, sorry that he had stepped onto that line of conversation. "_Anyway, and next to Dais is Kento Rei Fuang and Cye Mouri. Unconscious are Rowen Hashiba, Kale, and Sekhmet." _

"Do Kale and Sekhmet have real names, too?" Kala couldn't help asking, glancing at Dais. 

"They'll kill me if I told you," Dais said immediately. 

"And at any rate, we're _not going there," Ryo cut in. "Okay, so you know who we are. And you?" _

Trinity spoke up before anyone else could, something Ryo was grateful for since he couldn't be entirely certain he'd get a civil answer from everyone else. "You know me," she said. "Volandra Kiara, Dilys Velvet, and Kala Ranier. Kia Lupe is Strata, Janna Lelchuk is Cobra, and Chiara McRobbins is Jackal." 

Trinity had barely finished the introductions when Kala suddenly demanded, "How come White Blaze is with you?" 

"How do you know White Blaze?" Kento countered. 

White Blaze looked very much like he did not want to be the center of this conversation, and looked pleadingly at Ryo. 

Ryo sighed. "White Blaze is with us because of me," he said. "He's my guardian tiger. The Ancient One sent him to me shortly after I lost my parents." 

"Oh." Kala glanced at White Blaze questionably, and the big tiger got up and walked over to her, rubbing his head against her leg. "Sorry. It's just…strange, seeing him with someone else. He was kind of our baby-sitter." 

"Jeez, White Blaze, how old _are you?" Kento teased. White Blaze faked a lunge in his direction, letting the Warrior of Hardrock know __exactly what sort of mood he was in for teasing. _

"White Blaze isn't a pet," Volandra suddenly spoke up, her voice cold. "I hope you haven't been treating him like one."

Sage caught the tone of her voice, and his eyes widened slightly. _Talk about ice, he thought. __And here she's supposed to be Wildfire._

Ryo looked at her indignantly. "White Blaze has _never been just a pet to me," he managed through clenched teeth. "I've never treated him like one. He's my partner." White Blaze went from Kala to Ryo and purred when Ryo started scratching him behind his ear, as if to say that he agreed with Ryo's statement. _

There was another tense silence, and it was Kayura who broke it this time. "You know," she said hesitantly, "maybe it would be best if Mia, Micaela, and I spoke with the Elementals. Someone needs to check the barriers, anyway." The barriers had been created with the Oracle Staff and the armors of Wildfire, Hardrock, Torrent, Halo, and Spider.

Ryo wanted to object, but he knew she was right. He glanced at Dais to see if the leader of the Warlords had any objections, but Dais just shook his head. "Okay," Ryo said, standing up. "Come on, guys. Cye, maybe you could start dinner, too?"

"Sure," Cye agreed easily. 

"I'll help!" Yuli said, following them out of the room. White Blaze stayed behind, and since his two favorite humans were no longer in the room, he took up a spot next to Favorite Human #3, Mia. 

Mia noticed that Volandra, Kala, and Dilys all seemed to visibly relax the moment the guys were out of the room, and she glanced at Kayura to see if the other girl had noticed it, too. Kayura smiled at them. "Sorry about that. I sensed that you weren't exactly comfortable having them in the room."

Volandra turned to look at her sister. "How can you handle it?" she demanded. 

Trinity blushed. "Well, I…I just got used to them, I guess. And Cye's nice. I can trust him. They're all trustworthy." 

"Hmph," muttered Dilys, folding her arms over her chest. "They're men." 

Mia and Kayura raised their eyebrows, and looked at Kala and Micaela, the only two who hadn't spoken, for an explanation.

Micaela sighed. "I thought this might be part of the problem. How many members of the opposite gender have you girls been around in your lifetime?"

All four of them blushed. 

"Not many," Micaela said, nodding. 

"We were children when we were taken," Kala said defensively. 

"And it didn't help that the Elders were against letting us get near boys," Trinity said sheepishly. "I don't know why, but between that and the Leviathans, we're all just sort of hesitant around them." 

"Some more than others," Kala muttered, glancing at Volandra and Dilys. Volandra glared right back, but Dilys was busy eyeing Kayura and Mia silently. 

"What?" Kayura finally demanded of her. 

"Nothing," Dilys said. Kayura just raised her eyebrows skeptically. 

"At any rate," Mia interjected, "do you feel more comfortable talking without them here?"

"A bit," Volandra replied. "We appreciate it. Although I did notice that they seem to know their way around here very well – do they come here often?"

Mia cleared her throat uneasily. "Except for the Warlords, they, um, live here." 

Even Trinity blinked at that one. "I didn't know that," she said. "Permanently?"

"Pretty much," Mia said. "Ryo doesn't have any family; Rowen's parents are divorced, although his father _does have an apartment in the city – which, according to him, is too full of experiments to fit him; Kento's family owns a Chinese restaurant in the city, but they've got the same problem only with kids instead of inventions; Sage visits his family's temple periodically, but it's easier for him to commute from here than there; and Cye's family is in Europe. After the first Dynasty War, it just made since for them to continue living here, together." She smiled. "I got used to them, anyway."_

"And the little boy?" Kala asked. 

"Yuli alternates between his house and the mansion," Mia replied. "His parents were kidnapped during the first war, although they were released later, but he stills spends a lot of time here. Any other questions?"

"Explain this 'first war' you keep mentioning," Dilys said. "They've had combat experience before?" 

"Oh, yes," Mia assured them. "It started about…oh, two years ago, I believe. Let's see, Cye, Sage, and Kento were fifteen…yes, two years ago. One day, without any warning, Toyama was attacked by the Dynasty and its leader, Emperor Talpa. Most of the city was kidnapped – myself and Yuli being the only civilians who escaped unharmed. I was with my grandfather just before it happened, and was watching the news when a report of a young man with a white tiger came on. The white tiger was the symbol of the Ronin power, so I hurried for the city as fast as I could. Of course, the boy was Ryo.

"Ryo went one-on-one with a Dynasty warrior, but it wasn't until the other four showed up that they were able to beat the warrior back. That was _before they had learned to work together." Mia shook her head ruefully. "That was __still one of the most frightening experiences I ever had. At any rate, after that initial battle there were several more run-ins with Talpa and his Dark Warlords – Anubis, Dais, Kale, and Sekhmet." _

"Hold on a sec," Kala said. "You mean those guys were your _enemies?" _

Kayura looked sheepish. "Uh, yeah. So was I. But we didn't have much of a choice. Talpa made us do it." 

"It seemed that Talpa wanted more than to just take over the Mortal Realm," Mia continued.  "Apparently, the nine armors that the Ronins and the Dark Warlords possessed had originally been a single armor, and it had been an armor that had belonged to Talpa himself. He sought to reclaim the armors for his own." 

"Someone from the Dynasty was the original owner of the armors?" Volandra asked, frowning. 

"You didn't know that?" Kayura asked.

"We were never told about the origins of the nine armors," Trinity explained. "So what happened? Did this Talpa person succeed?"

"Yes," Mia said. "But not after losing to the Ronins several times, and in more ways then one – several of his plots merely ended up providing Ryo and the others with even more power, including the creation of the Armor of the Inferno, a super armor given to Ryo that can be called on with the power of the Armor of Wildfire and any four of the other armors. Perhaps the most damaging of Talpa's problems, however, lay in the instability of his Dark Warlord of Cruelty, Anubis Doji."

"Have we met him?" Kala asked, confused. She immediately regretted the words when she saw the look of sadness on Mia and Kayura's faces. 

"He's dead," Kayura replied softly. "At the end of the second war." 

There was an uncomfortable silence for several minutes, the only sounds were the faint ones coming from the kitchen. 

Mia took a deep breath and managed to start talking again. "Despite the problems, Talpa did manage to take all nine armors – Dais, Sekmeht, and Kale's voluntary, Ryo and the others' by force – and regain his power. But something happened inside of him, and the souls of the boys with the help of the spirit of the Ancient One, who had sacrificed himself to aid the Ronins, managed to break free of Talpa's grasp. With the Armor of the Inferno, they defeated Talpa, and everything returned to normal.

"Well, for a few weeks. 

"Things began to pick up again when a series of Dynasty minions began showing up trying to claim the Armor of the Inferno. Before long, it became clear that Talpa wasn't as dead as we had all thought." Mia scratched White Blaze's head as she looked around the room. The Elementals, as well as Micaela, were glued to the story. Kayura seemed lost in her own thoughts. "This time, though, it seemed that the Dynasty may have had the upper hand. They were ready for the Ronins, and Talpa had not only three of his four Dark Warlords – Anubis had been mysteriously MIA since the end of the first war --, but he also had a new warrior. Lady Kayura."

All eyes turned to Kayura briefly. 

"Thanks to Kayura, Talpa was able to capture Kento, Cye, and Sage. Ryo and Rowen managed to stay free, and were determined to rescue their friends, but had no way to do it. And then we got our first major surprise – the Ancient One, apparently, was alive. 

"Or someone who looked and acted just like him."

"Was it him?" Dilys asked, arching an eyebrow. "I wasn't aware that even ones of the Ancient Clan could cheat death."

"It wasn't him, actually," Mia replied. "When he finally came forwarded, we found out the reason behind Anubis' disappearance – he'd given up his armor and had become a student of the Ancient One's teachings. He'd even been given the Staff to act as the Ronins' guardian. With his help, Ryo and Rowen were able to go to the Dynasty to find the others. 

"Here on Earth, Anubis and I – and Yuli, of course – continued to search for ways to help the Ronins. We uncovered something called the Jewel of Life, which had been sealed away by the Ancient One's Clan. With it, we were able to go to the Dynasty ourselves – and discovered that our friends had been quite busy. 

"Anubis managed to rescue them from the Dark Warlords, everyone regrouped, and then the guys went off to fight Talpa again. The Jewel of Life came in handy as a protection device, and also helped free the Ronins and the Warlords after Talpa captured them _again, this time trying to use the nine armors to open a gateway between the two worlds. By this time the Warlords and Kayura had pretty much decided they wanted nothing to do with Talpa, helped the Ronins, and Talpa was finally defeated once again by the White Armor. Anubis was our only casualty – he died brining Kayura out of the brainwashing that Talpa's advisor, Badamon, had done." _

"And this was…two years ago?" Volandra asked. 

"Roughly," Kayura replied. "Since then, Dais, Kale, Sekhmet, and I have been alternately living between here and the Dynasty while we do our best to clean up Talpa's mess."

"And the guys continue to live here with me, to make it easier on themselves for the reasons I mentioned earlier," Mia added. "It's been pretty peaceful up until now, actually."

Volandra nodded slightly, then glanced at Kala, Dilys, and Trinity. "Meeting," she said immediately. The other three girls crowded around their leader and began talking in whispers. They looked at Trinity at lot, listened to Dilys, argued with Kala, and finally came to an agreement which Volandra told Mia, Kayura, and Micaela. 

"We think we can handle living here for the time being, at least until our friends wake up and are okay," she said. "In return for your assistance, we'll tell you what we can about the Leviathans." 

Mia smiled. "That sounds fine," she said. "And of course, we'll get you your own rooms. There are plenty of bedrooms on the second floor. In fact, I'll go up there and check to make sure that four of them are ready for use." She stood up and walked out of the room, calling to Yuli to come help her. 

Micaela looked at the four Elementals seriously. "Are you sure that you can handle being around your armor partners? I could not help but notice animosity earlier." 

"We'll deal with it," Dilys replied shortly. "One question, though – how far out does this barrier extend, Micaela?"

"To the lake," Micaela replied. "Beyond the lake it outside of the barrier. That is the limit of the Oracle Staff's power. And I do not dare ask Kayura for the use of the Ancient's Staff. We might need it for battle."

"That's generous of you," Kayura said gratefully. She glanced at the clock. "I'm going to go see how those guys are dealing with dinner. Hopefully Kento hasn't eaten it all attempting to do taste-testing." 

"I'll come with you!" Trinity said eagerly, standing up. Then she hesitated. "Um…Lonnie?" 

Volandra sighed – obviously, if she refused to let her sister hang around the armor bearers she'd have a very miserable little Syren on her hands. "Go ahead, Trin. Just don't bug them."

"Thanks!" And she followed Kayura quickly out of the room.

Dilys looked at Volandra with concern. "Are you sure it's okay to let her do that?" she asked. "We still don't know much about them – and Trinity's always so trusting."

"That's the reason we_ can let her do that," Kala told her. "Because she always knows who's trustworthy and who's not. These guys are okay."_

"Yeah," Volandra agreed, sighing. "They're definitely on our side. But that's about the _only thing we can count on." _

Micaela watched the three of them walk amongst themselves thoughtfully. _They have a hard time trusting anyone not of their own, she thought. __But I believe that if anyone can bring them out of their shells, these Ronins can. _

_For the sake of the Mortal Realm, they have__ to._


	12. Strange Feelings

**Ronin Elementals: Prophecy of Power**

**Chapter Twelve: Strange Feelings**

The cool night breeze rippled the water gently. Trinity wrapped her arms around her knees and sighed, the cold not bothering her one bit despite the fact that she was soaking wet. 

"Hey."

She looked up to see Cye walking towards her, wearing a light blue sweatshirt and a pair of jeans. She couldn't remember seeing him in jeans before – during the day he usually wore slacks or shorts. His hair looked slightly damp, as if he'd just gotten out of the shower. "Kombanwa," she said, smiling shyly. "Nice night."

"Yeah," he agreed, coming to sit on the grass beside her. "You can't tell from here that a bunch of alien ships have turned downtown Toyama into their own personal spaceport." 

For some reason, she felt slightly ashamed. "I-I wasn't trying to make light of the situation or anything…I was just –"

"Relax," he said, his smiling softening her words. "I wasn't trying to be rude. I was just pointing out a fact. You really _can't tell from here. Which might be a good thing. I'm not sure if any of us are ready to fight these Leviathans, and if we could see them…well, I know for certain that Kento at least would want to go after them." _

"My friends as well, perhaps," Trinity said, nodding slightly. "So, um…what are you doing out here?"

Cye shrugged. "I looked out the window in the kitchen and saw you headed down here. So I escaped dish duty and came looking for you." It was then that Trinity noticed that his hair seemed to have a few suds growing from it. She reached up and batted them away. He blushed. "Um, Dais and Yuli were trying to help. I think they're still having a soap fight, unless Mia's stopped them already."

"You're friends are…interesting," she said. "I'm sorry if mine were a little rude."

He shook his head. "Don't be. We heard what you were talking about with Mia and Kayura. I think if I'd been raised away from girls my whole life, I'd be a little shy. As it was, it was sort of the opposite – I grew up in a house with only my sister and mother. And most of my friends in England were girls, too. I got teased a lot."

"You, too?" She looked up at him, surprised. "But you're a Ronin Warrior! Why would anyone tease you?"

"Why would anyone want to tease _you?" Cye countered. "You're a Ronin Elemental." _

She bit her lip. "The other children in the clan saw us as strange, I suppose. And I was the youngest, so I couldn't defend myself as well as Lonnie and the others." She blushed slightly, more from embarrassment than anything. "They were always faster learners than me. When Lonnie was four she was already creating brushfires. When I was four, I could barely swim – pretty embarrassing for someone who's supposed to be the element of water." 

 "Everyone learns at different paces," Cye said. He put his hand on her shoulder. "And in cases like yours, and like mine, everyone is different to begin with. We're the only water elements of our teams, just like Ryo and Volandra are the only fires, Kento and Kala the only earths, and so on. Our powers are going to end up being different." 

Trinity looked thoughtful for a moment, and then nodded slowly. "I…think I understand. So can I ask you a question?"

"Sure," he said, squeezing her shoulder gently.

She looked at him. "Why _were you teased?" _

Cye laughed. "Oh, I was a bully's dream back in England. This was, of course, before I was a Ronin. I didn't learn about that for quite awhile. But like I said, I grew up with my mother and my sister – Dad having died before I was born – so I had a lot of feminine influence in my life. The other children just didn't think it was normal for a boy to like clothes, cooking, and dolls." He scratched the back of his neck and gave her a sheepish look. "Well, what was I supposed to do? I only had my sister to play with, since the other kids wouldn't play with me. And she liked those things, so I did, too."

"That's so sweet!" Trinity said teasingly. "Little Cye playing with his sister. I can see it now! You must have been adorable at that age!" 

His blush deepened. "Um…well…" 

"Relax, I'm just teasing," she said, smiling at him. After that, the two of them lapsed into a silence that was part awkward, part companionable.  

*****

From the house, Kayura looked out the same window that Cye had first seen Trinity through, and cocked an eyebrow. "Those two seem like they're getting along fairly well."

"Who?" Kala stood up from the kitchen table, where she'd been going through a book she'd found in Mia's study, and looked at the two Torrents sitting next to each other by the lake. "Hmm. Maybe we shouldn't tell Volandra."

"Why not?" Kayura looked at her curiously. "Cye's a nice guy. Sometimes a little too nice, even." 

The Hardrock Elemental shrugged. "And Trinity's a nice girl. I should know, I'm her best friend. But Volandra is her older sister, and it very protective of her. So are the rest of us. I'm willing to let Trin make her own choices, though, unlike certain others I can name." She sighed. "Sometimes it's hard to see the team pet begin to grow up."

"Well, I think it's cute," Kayura said confidently. "But if you're so concerned, I won't bring it up in front of anyone." Her eyes widened. "Oh! Are they holding hands?"

"Let me see!" Kala leaned over the counter to get a better look. "Ooo! All right, Trin!" 

"What's going on?"

Both girls looked up to see Kento standing in the kitchen doorway, confused. "I just came down to get something to eat before I hit the sack," he said. He looked at Kala uncertainly, then held out a hand. "I'm Kento Rei Fuang, by the way. I don't think we were really introduced. What with you kidnapping me first." 

"I know your name, but no, we weren't," Kala said. "I guess I should apologize for that, huh? Everyone tells me I have a tendency to act first and ask questions later." She shook his hand firmly. "Kala Ranier." 

"Act first, think later?" Kayura glanced at Kento slyly. "Sounds like a certain hard-head we all know."

"You shut up," Kento growled. "So what are you guys looking at?"

"Something cute," Kayura replied, stepping away from the window. Kento looked through, recognized his best friend, and grinned. Then he walked out of the kitchen and returned a moment later, holding a Poloroid camera. 

Seeing Kala and Kayura's questioning looks, he grinned. "Blackmail," he said, quickly snapping a couple of pictures. 

"Just don't let Volandra see them," Kala said, giving Kento the same warning and reason she'd given Kayura. Kento drew his fingers over his lips and pantomimed locking them and throwing out the key. Kala looked relieved. "Now lets see those pictures." 

"You've got to give them a few minutes to develop," Kento said, laying them out on the kitchen table. "See?"

Kala's eyes widened as the photos began to change color. "It's like magic!" she breathed. "Amazing!" 

"They must not have had Poloroids a thousand years ago, huh?" Kento joked, laughing. He glanced at the window again, and his eyes widened. "More blackmail! I think Cye just kissed her!" 

"What?" Kala and Kayura hurried over to the window. 

"Ooops, sorry, false alarm." They watched as the two Torrents stood up and walked out of view. Kala strained her sight to try and see. "I wonder where they're going."

"Just what are you three doing?"

At the sound of Cye's somewhat irritated voice, all three of them jumped and turned to the kitchen door. Cye was standing there, frowning at them, with Trinity standing behind him with a light blush on her face. Kento tried to hide the pictures, but Cye had already spotted them. "Give those to me, Kento," he said, holding out his hand. "Now." 

Kento knew there was no arguing with him, and he grumbled incoherently as he gathered up the still developing pictures and handed them to Cye.

Cye looked through them, and raised an eyebrow. "These wouldn't have done you much good," he told him. "They developed wrong."

"Let me see." Kento took one of the pictures and looked at it curiously. A bright yellow light had developed in the middle of the each picture. "Huh. Wonder how that got there." 

Kayura, Kala, and Trinity looked through the other shots. "It's on all of them," Trinity said. 

"So it's a glich in the camera," Kento said, shrugging. "Oh, well. Rowen can take a look at it when he wakes up. If it can be fixed, he'll handle it. If not, he can give it to his father for spare parts." He took the pictures and tossed them on the table absently, landing them next to the camera. Then he turned to Kala and Trinity. "Hey, you ladies ever play a video game?"

"A what?"

A pained looked came over his face. "Oh, this is injustice! Cye, we _must not let this happen! They don't what a video game is!" He hooked his arms through Kala and Trinity's, and led them into the living room. "Come, ladies. Allow me to show you the finer points of some of this world's wonderful creations – the PlayStation 2, the X-Box, the Game Cube, and so much more! You haven't seen anything until you've entered the worlds they can show you!" _

"They're a dimensional gateway system?"

"Ah, no." 

Cye and Kayura looked at each other and laughed. "New victims," Cye said. "Kento's beaten all of us except Rowen – he's been looking for new victims. I better go play chaperone. Coming?"

She shook her head. "I think I'll go see what some of the others are up to. Thanks for the offer. And sorry about the spying." 

His cheeks reddened. "Ah, no problem," he said shyly. Then he hurried out of the kitchen and into the living room to claim a game controller. 

*****

_Knock, knock. _

"Enter." 

The door opened. "You can't do anything halfway," Kayura teased. "What's so wrong with a simple 'come in'?"

Dais sat up from his laying position on his bed, hair smacking him in his face as he looked at her in surprise. "Ka-kayura! What are you doing here?"

She gave him a wounded look. "Kale and Sekhmet are still out, Cye and Kento managed to get Kala and Trinity hooked on Final Fantasy, Mia's glued to her computer, and everyone else is locked in their rooms. You're the only one to talk to." 

"Ah," Dais said, nodding slightly. "So I was your last choice." 

"That's not what I meant!" Kayura protested. Then she saw the grin on his face and stuck her tongue out at him. "You're mean." 

"You should talk," Dais shot back. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and motioned for her to come in and close the door. She did so. "So how're Torrent and Hardrock dealing with their new partners?"

Kayura flopped down on his bed and rolled on her stomach. "Pretty well," she said. "But I wish you wouldn't insist on calling them by their armors when it's just the four of us. How come you do that and not when they're around?"

"I don't want to insult them," Dais said. "Besides, you know I only do it to get a rise out of you." 

She casually gave him a very common Mortal Realm hand signal, and he laughed. 

Kayura glanced over at him when he stopped laughing abruptly, and found him staring off into space, as if something had just occurred to him. "Are you okay?" she asked, sitting up. "You look a little flush. Maybe we should open a window in here or something."

"What?" Dais looked at her, startled. "Oh, yeah. I'll do that." He stood up and crossed over to the window opposite the bed. 

_Dais has been acting kind of strange lately, Kayura thought, watching him. __This is the first time we've talked at night in awhile. We used to do it all the time, after the Warlords and I became friends._

When Dais didn't move away from the open window, she found herself growing concerned again. "Dais?" She walked over to him. "What's wrong?"

He was staring at a point on the lawn, outside the window. There was nothing there. "I-I thought I saw something," he whispered, a slightly sad tone to his voice. "But I guess I was mistaken." 

Kayura looked again and saw that it was almost the exact same spot as where the pictures Kento had taken had been of. At the same time, a sudden chill went down her spine, and she shivered.

"You okay?" Dais looked at her in concern. 

"Can I…can I stay in here tonight?" she asked softly. "There's something strange gong on – something other than the Leviathans. And I don't want to be alone." 

Dais bit her lip. _Damn, Kayura, that's not a good idea… But he couldn't refuse her. She looked so lost. So…afraid. Sadistic as it may be, he loved it when she looked afraid. It made him feel like he had to protect her. And she was cute when she was afraid, too. __Dais, you're so far gone you can't even see where you were before. "Yeah," he said, nodding. "I can manage the floor tonight."_

She opened her mouth to protest.

He raised his hand to stop her. "No. You get the bed. I get the floor. And that's it." 

_That's the way it has to be, my Kayura. _


	13. Early Morning Antics

**Ronin Elementals: Prophecy of Power**

**Chapter Thirteen: Early Morning Antics**

It was completely silent. 

Completely.

Then…the sound of someone sneaking into the living room. 

Silence again. 

The sound of someone sneaking out of the living room.

A minute passes. 

Two minutes. 

Three. 

Then…

_"WAKE UP!"_

"HOLY SHIT!" Kento shouted as he sat straight up, narrowly missing kicking Cye in the head. Throughout the house, angry and pained shouts could be heard as the entire mansion was suddenly up and moving. Kala looked ready to kill the first person who walked into the room, Trinity was rubbing her ears gingerly, and Cye reached behind the couch and removed a large speaker that belonged to the stereo.

"If we follow this cord, we'll find the culprit," he said, pointing to the cord that trailed out of the room.

They followed it.

Ryo and Volandra had beaten them to it. 

"Yuli, what the hell were you _thinking?!" Ryo was lecturing the nine-year-old. Yuli stood there with his hands behind his back, a microphone attached to the speaker cord proof of his crime. "Do you know what __time it is?!" _

"Six o' clock," Yuli said, not sounding the least bit sorry.

"Yeah, you're damn right it's six o' clock," snarled Volandra. "And we're all thoroughly _exhausted after yesterday. Now, thanks to you, we won't be able to go back to sleep for at __least a week because the __ringing in our ears will keep us up!" _

Yuli cringed, and this time really did look ashamed. "Sorry."

"WHERE IS HE?!" 

Dilys stormed into the room angrily, aiming straight for Yuli. She pushed Volandra and Ryo aside and stood in front of him. "You nearly made me go deaf, you little brat! Is that what you were trying to accomplish? This is why I can't _stand little kids!" Her green eyes flashed angrily as she continued, completely unaware that Yuli looked like he was about to burst into tears. "They're nothing but a bunch of snot-nosed, weak-willed terrors with nothing better to do than –" _

"_Dilys!" Kala, Volandra, and Trinity shouted. Dilys stopped and looked at them, wide-eyed. _

Yuli ran out of the room.

Everyone turned to glare at the Cyborg. 

Rowen appeared in the doorway. "Any reason why Yuli just ran out of here like the Hounds of Hades were after him?" 

Sage frowned at Dilys before turning to his best friend. "Yuli decided to play alarm clock, only it didn't…" He stopped and blinked. "Rowen?"

The Warrior of Strata raised an eyebrow. "Good morning." 

"When did _you wake up?" Ryo demanded. _

"Probably when you all started shouting at Yuli," Rowen replied mildly. "At least, I remember opening my eyes and wanting to cuss all of you out for not helping my headache one bit." He glanced over his shoulder. "Shouldn't somebody do something about Yuli? And fill me in, too?"

Everyone looked pointedly at Dilys. She frowned. "What?"

Sage sighed in exasperation. "Never mind. I'll talk to him." He spun around and walked briskly out of the room. 

"Dilys," Volandra hissed, pushing the other girl in the same direction. "Go with him."

Dilys turned to her to protest, but the look on Volandra's face was enough to melt sheet metal. "Yes, ma'am," she muttered as she stormed out after Sage. 

Rowen blinked. "Wow. Looks like World War III broke out while I was asleep." 

"Were you the only one who awoke?" Micaela asked. 

"Kia looked like she was stirring," Rowen replied. "By the way…who decided to stick her in the same bed with me? Because I have to say, that was very embarrassing." 

Ryo looked at Kayura and Micaela. "You did _what?" _

"They help heal," Kayura said defensively. "Micaela said that the closer the proximity between armor bearer and Elemental, the faster they would heal."

"And in plain English that means?" Kento asked. 

"If they're lying in the same bed, they'll get better faster," Cye translated. 

"Oh." 

Volandra sighed. "Well, at least they're waking up." She glanced at the clock on the wall. "I'm going to patrol." Kala and Trinity stood up. "Alone." She left the room much in the same way Dilys and Sage had.

"What's she mean, she's going to patrol?" muttered Ryo. "She doesn't know the city, and it's dangerous out there." He followed her out. 

Dais just shook his head. "God, the sexual tension in this place is beginning to get on my OW!" He doubled over and grabbed his leg where Kayura had kicked it. "_Kay-ura!" _

"At least the rest of us can get along," Kala said, trying hard to be cheerful. "I'm hungry. Anyone else hungry?" 

Cye sighed. "I'll go make some –" 

"_WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?!" _

Trinity and Kala cringed. "Uh, oh," Trinity said. "Janna's awake." 

"_WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING IN MY ROOM?!"_

Dais forgot about his leg and immediately moved towards the stairs. "So's Sekhmet," he said. 

"Stay," Kayura said, grabbing his shoulder and pulling him back. "Let the girls handle this." She, Trinity, Kala, Micaela, and Mia hurried up the stairs. Dais looked after them. 

"Since when is it girls-versus-guys?" he asked, managing a decent pout.

"The Elementals seem to be more comfortable about women," Rowen replied. "I figured _that out awhile ago."_

"Then we really could've used you last night," Kento said, clapping his hand on Rowen's shoulder. "Come on. Let's go see what Cye's going to make us for breakfast."

"What _I'm going to make?!" _

*****

Sekhmet barely managed to dodge the stuffed snake flying in his direction. "Hey!" he shouted. "Leave Mr. Scales out of this! Who told you to throw my stuff at me?" 

Two more stuffed snakes hit in him the face. "Who told _you to snuggle up next to me while I'm __unconscious?!" Janna shouted back. She looked around for another weapon, and discovered she'd thrown all of the snakes. "Could I have those back, please? I want to throw them again." _

"NO!" 

"JERK!" 

"BITCH!" 

And this was the scene the five girls walked in on a second later. 

They stopped in the doorway, taking in the site. Janna and Sekhmet were standing on two opposite sides of the room, shouting insults at each other. Both of them looked like they'd just woken up. Sekhmet also seemed to being growing stuffed snakes out of his body, seeing as how he was covered with about twenty of them. 

No one knew quite what to say to this, which was okay because they wouldn't have been heard anyway. 

"BASTARD!" 

"SNAKE!" 

"Thanks." 

"That wasn't a compliment." 

"Oh. BUG-EYES!" 

"HEY!" 

_Phweeeeeeeeeeeet!_

Both Cobras looked at Mia, who was standing there with her fingers in her mouth. She lowered her hand. "Shut up," she commanded. "Both of you." They did. "Now sit. On the bed." Janna opened her mouth to protest, and Mia glared at her. The two sat down as far from each other as they could get, arms and legs crossed as they glared at each other. 

Everyone else breathed a sigh of relief, and Trinity removed her hands from her ears. 

"Are you two feeling okay?" Kala asked. 

"I'm fine," Janna said sulkily. "But what's _he doing here?"_

"_He has a name," snapped Sekhmet. "Sekhmet." _

Janna snickered. 

"What?"

"You _do know that in Egyptian mythology – Sekhmet was a woman, right?" _

Sekhmet's jaw dropped. "Well – hey – I didn't –" 

Janna just kept laughing, his reaction not helping at all. 

"You – you – you…" 

"Uh, oh," Kayura muttered to Mia. "Sekhmet's sensitive about his name. Anubis and the others used to tease him about it, back before they stopped fighting each other and got along." 

Sekhmet glared at her. "Hmph. It's not like it's my real name, anyway."

There was a gleam in Kala's eyes. "Oh? And what is your real name?" 

Silence. 

"Come on," coaxed the Amazon. "It can't be as bad as Dais'." 

"_Hey!" Dais shouted from downstairs. "__I heard that!" _

"Urusai!" Kayura shouted back. 

Sekhmet looked at her stonily. "I'm not telling." 

"Please." 

"No."

"Puh-leeeeeeese?" 

"No."

"Pretty, pretty, please with a cherry on top?" 

"Hell, no!" 

"Yamanouchi Naotoki." 

Everyone looked at a smirking Dais. Sekhmet looked like he was ready to murder the other ex-Warlord. "You said you wouldn't tell!" he accused. 

"If they know mine, they can know yours," Dais replied. "Consider it payback." 

"In that case," Sekhmet replied with an mischievous gleam in his eye, "maybe I should just tell Kayura that you –" 

Dais was across the room and covering Sekhmet's mouth with his hand. "Shut up," he hissed. 

Mia rubbed the bridge of her nose. "I think we've gotten off the subject here." 

Micaela nodded. "I believe you may be right." 

"Naotoki's better than Sekhmet," Janna said, completely out of the blue.

Sekhmet looked at her. "Really?" 

She nodded. Then she smirked. "But I think I'll just call you Bug-eyes." 

"_Do it and die!" _

Downstairs, Cye stopped stirring the pancake batter and began hunting through the cabinets.

"What are you looking for?" Kento asked.

"My aspirin," was the reply.

*****

"_Yuli! Where'd you go?" _

No answer. 

Sage looked around the edge of the woods, then looked over his shoulder hoping to see the nine-year-old suddenly pop up. He groaned. "Please don't tell me he went outside the barrier."

"He went outside the barrier."

He spun around and saw Dilys a few feet away, staring into the woods. "What are _you doing here?" he demanded. _

"I'm under orders to apologize to the kid," Dilys replied. 

"If that's the only reason you're going to, don't bother," snapped Sage. "Haven't you done enough damage?"

She ignored him. "He did go through the barrier," she repeated. "I'm picking up his trace easily. It shouldn't be hard to find him. I'd suit up first, though."

"What do you mean, you're picking up his trace?" Sage asked as he reached into his pocket for his armor orb. 

"Every living thing gives off unique scent or an invisible trail ," Dilys replied. "As a Cyborg, I can see them. And I know what the kid's is. He went this way." She pointed deeper into the woods. 

Sage sighed. "He knows he's not supposed to leave the barrier. **Armor of the Halo, Dao Chi!" **

"**Halo Cyborg! Change!" **

Sage eyed Dilys – or, to be more exact, eyed the katana blades that slid out of her wrists. "Be careful with those," he advised. She glared at him, and he refrained some saying anything more as he gripped his no-datchi tightly. "Which way?" he asked the Cyborg. 

Dilys brushed silvery-green hair away from her eyes and peered into forest. "This way," she said curtly a moment later, plunging into the foliage, using her katanas to cut a path. Sage was right behind her, and couldn't help but be amazed at how swift and silent she was despite her armor and weapons. Stealth was obviously something she was good at. 

They ran silently for several minutes, both keeping their eyes open for Yuli – and anything else that they might unfortunately run into. Then they reached a fork in the path, and Dilys slowed to a stop. Sage came up behind her. "How far are we from the barrier?" he asked quietly.

"Too far for my liking," Dilys replied tensely. "And I've lost the kid's trail."

His violet eyes widened. "_What?" _

"Sssh," she hissed. "You want us to get in even more trouble?" 

He looked at her questioningly, but wisely didn't say a word. 

She stepped up to him, very close, so close that their noses were almost touching. And then lowered her voice to an almost inaudible whisper. "I sensed a Leviathan a couple of minutes ago," she whispered. "Behind us, but she's coming closer. Dispel your armor." 

He blinked. "Wha –?" She pressed her hand up against his mouth to silence him, and he sighed and did as she ordered him to. Then he raised his eyebrows in question. _Now what? _

Dilys had dispelled her own armor, returning to the green and white shirt and shorts that she had worn to bed. She glanced around, and enhanced her vision slightly. The Leviathan was just coming into range, only the mind, obviously on a patrol. 

"Play along," Dilys hissed a second later, and before Sage could react, she grabbed his shoulders and pulled him towards her in a searing, passionate kiss. 

Sage's mind went blank momentarily, and in that moment he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her flush against him, crushing in own mouth against her. Dilys' arms moved from his shoulders to his neck, and the two of them stood there like that, completely lost in each other. 

Then Dilys pressed her hands against Sage's chest and pushed him away, breaking the embrace and stumbling back several steps. The two of them stood there, staring at each other and breathing hard. Dilys opened her mouth to say something, then shook her head as she seemed to think better of it. She took a deep breath and immediately scanned the area. "Gone," she said. "It worked."

Sage's eyes widened. "What?"

She didn't even glance at him as she once again called her armor. "I placed a shield around the two of us, to hide us from the Leviathan," she said. "Normally it only works for myself, but close contact with another person can enable them to be hidden as well." She glanced down the two paths. "I think I have the trail again. Let's go." 

Sage stared at her, her words dimly registering. "You mean – that was just to _hide?" _

"Of course," Dilys said, indifferent to his incredulous tone. "Now are you just going to stand there, or are you going to suit up again and help me find this kid? Geeze, men can make such a production out of things." She unsheathed her katana, and took off again.

Sage growled irritably, and followed after her. And despite the fact that the kiss was still burned into his memory, he came to the conclusion that despite the fact that she was his Elemental partner – he _really didn't like this girl. Not one bit. _

_Yuli, you better be okay. Because if I have to hang around her any longer, I think I'm going to do something drastic. _


	14. Ambush!

**Ronin Elementals: Prophecy of Power**

**Chapter Fourteen: Ambush!**

"Chotto matte!" 

Volandra muttered something under her breath and continued walking. 

A hand grabbed her arm and spun her around. She lashed out with her free arm, and her fist was caught easily. "I said, wait a minute," Ryo said. 

"And I thought I said I didn't want to be followed," Volandra replied. 

"You did," Ryo agreed. "But you don't know Toyama like I do. And I don't think it's a good idea for any of us to go anywhere alone. That's why you sent Dilys after Sage, right?"

She scowled and said nothing. 

"You know I'm right." Ryo let go of her arms and folded his own over his chest. "So if you're going to patrol, I'm coming with you. And if you try to argue, I'll just ignore you. Got it?"

She groaned. "There's no getting rid of you, is there?" She turned around and started walking along the road again. 

Ryo fell in step beside her. "Nope," he replied. "You didn't seem to have any objections before you found out who I was."

"Whatever," Volandra said, shrugging, her ponytail brushing against her shoulders. 

He looked at her. "So…what was it like, a thousand years ago?" 

"Interesting," Volandra replied. "Of course, I was eight when the Leviathans kidnapped the seven of us. Most of my memories are of when I was in captivity, and those are memories I'd rather not have. I'd rather not talk about them, either." She glanced at him. "Get the point?"

"Whatever," he replied in the same tone she'd used on him. He grinned to let her know that he was kidding. 

She shook her head. "You know, this world is in serious danger right now. You could try acting a little more serious about it." 

"You want serious? Okay. Fine. What are our chances of us defeating the Leviathans, right now? If we were to get into a one-on-one situation with one of them, would be stand a chance? Your team knows them better than mine – what're their weaknesses, and how can we use them to our advantage?" 

Volandra looked at him, startled. She almost thought he was making fun or her until she saw the look on his face. His tiger-blue eyes had taken on an icy look, his jaw was set with determination, and he was staring straight ahead, his eyes focused on the area before them. A chill went down her spine, and she remembered the first time she'd seen him. 

She'd gone to the restaurant that day looking for her next target. Janna had identified a potential seed as being one of the workers, and she'd gone there to check it out and see when they could make their move. As she was scanning the crowd, her eyes had fallen on a group sitting in the outdoor café section. 

They were the Ronins, of course, although she hadn't known it at the time. If she'd been paying attention, she would've sensed the abnormal readings that Trinity had sensed with Cye and Kento – but she hadn't. She'd been too focused on Ryo.

There had been something about him – his attitude, the way he handled himself in the group – that had immediately drawn her attention to him. She didn't know why. She liked to think she wasn't like the teenage girls she'd known back in the Oracle Clan, always trying to look pretty and act sweet for the young men. She'd never had any interest in anyone of the opposite gender and she was determined not to start now. 

That first meeting with Ryo had left her shaking as she walked away from him. So unnerved was she that she'd completely forgotten about the reason she'd come to the diner, anyway – and as a result, the seed had matured and had been the cause of Kia, Janna, and Chiara's injuries. 

"It's my fault," she whispered suddenly, and Ryo glanced at her sharply. She stopped in the middle of the road and looked down at the ground, her red locks hanging down around her face. "It's all my fault." 

"Lonnie?" 

She drew in a couple of deep, gasping breaths, but couldn't stop the tears from coming. "It's all my fault!" she cried, burying her face in her hands and sobbing. She didn't care that she was looking weak in front of a man, she didn't care that she was out in the open, where any Leviathan could get here – she just didn't care. 

A pair of arms wrapped around her, and a hand pressed her face against a warm chest. "Easy," Ryo murmured softly, stroking her hair. "Relax. Just let it all out, Lonnie. Just cry." 

She clutched his shirt, tears staining the cloth. "My fault," she whispered. "I did it. I let them get hurt. If I'd just been doing my job, that Leviathan never…she never…!" 

"Stop it." Ryo suddenly gripped her shoulders and pushed her away from him slightly, grabbing her chin and forcing her to look up at him. "Blaming yourself isn't going to get you anywhere. Besides, Kia is fine – Janna and Chiara have probably woken up already themselves. Beating yourself up over it isn't going to do you any good. How could you have known what would happen?"

"But I was supposed to get rid of the Seed!" Volandra argued. "And instead I was too busy…too busy…" 

"What?" 

She frowned and cocked her head slightly. "Did you…hear that?"

Ryo hesitated and glanced around them cautiously. "Dare I ask…what?" 

_Rustle rustle rustle. _

"That." Volandra suddenly spun around and pressed her back against Ryo's, assuming a defensive stance. 

"I'm not picking anything up," Ryo whispered. "How far out of the barrier do you think we are?"

"I don't think we've left it, yet," Volandra replied. "Or at least…I _didn't think so. But no Leviathan can get through the barrier." _

A slight movement in the bushes caused the two of them to direct their attention immediately over to the side of the road. "Something's definitely there," whispered Ryo. 

"Spies," hissed Volandra. 

"Maybe," Ryo said. "Or Yuli, or Sage, or Dilys."

"They would've said something by now." 

He nodded slightly, and took a step away from her and over to the bushes. "What are you doing?" hissed Volandra. 

"Calm down," Ryo said. "Just…" Suddenly he shot forward and pushed his arm through the branches. He felt something soft, and immediately closed his hand on it, dragging it out from underneath the foliage. "Look! It's the evil," he grinned, "bunny." 

The little rabbit looked up at Volandra with big round eyes, and mewled softly. Ryo gently set it on the ground, and it hopped back into the bushes where it had come from. Then he looked up to meet Volandra's eyes. 

Her lips were curled up slightly, as if she were having an incredibly hard time trying not to laugh. When she saw the full-fledged smirk on Ryo's face, she sputtered slightly, then doubled over in laughter. A second later Ryo joined her, and the two of them sat there, in the middle of the road, in near-hysterics over the complete absurdness of it all. 

"Evil bunny," Volandra repeated, somehow managing to straighten up and cover her mouth with her hand. "Do you often have…wildlife problems?"

Ryo just shook his head as he got to his own feet. "Not," he managed, "normally."

The two of them stood there, looking at each other and giggling as they brought themselves around to a somewhat normal appearance. "Good thing none of the others showed up," Ryo said after a moment, "or they'd start electing a new leader." 

"Come on," Volandra said, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a hairtie so that she could pull back her hair. "Let's finish this patrol and get back. Before anymore evil…bunnies…show up. I'll take the sky if you can follow on the ground." 

"Lead on, Dragon Lady," Ryo said, sweeping his arm under in a bow. "We'll make it quick, and then get back in time for breakfast." 

*****

"**Cyber Shock!" **

"Dilys, behind you!" 

Dilys spun around in mid-attack and hit the ground, rolling to the side as a huge battle-ax came slamming down directly where her neck had been only a second later. "K'so!" she swore. "Where the hell did these freaks come from?" 

Sage blocked a set of claws with his no-datchi, spun, and sliced through the torso of another Leviathan. "We must not have fooled that scout as well as we thought," he said. "Maybe you weren't _deceiving enough."_

"Shut. Up." She ran up a tree, flipped back, and pierced two Leviathans through the neck with her katana. "They keep coming – we must be near a port!" 

"A what?" 

"I'll explain later. We need to get out of here." She retracted her katana and dashed over to stand next to her armor partner. "Hit the trees." 

"Nani?" 

"Now!" She brought her hands in front of her and clapped the palms together, hard. A shatter of sparks erupted from them and fell to the ground, immediately setting off a chain reaction of near-blinding light. Sage could just barely see her reach up and grab the nearest tree branch, and immediately followed suit. 

The minute the light vanished, he could hear the remaining Leviathans scrambling up the trees after them. He dispelled his armor, making it easier to move, and followed Dilys branch for branch. "Mind telling me what the hell is going on?" he called. "They're still on our trail!" 

"But we put some distance between them," Dilys snapped back. "The important thing is that we get back through the barrier. And we have to tell Volandra that there's a port nearby." 

"Two questions. One: What's a port? Two: What about Yuli?" 

"We don't have time to deal with the kid," came Dilys' short reply. 

Sage grabbed her shoulder and stopped her, spinning her around to face him. "In case you've forgotten – it's _your fault he's out her in the first place!" _

"And if we don't get moving, it's going to _your fault that the Leviathans get to the barrier!" Dilys shot back. "Let go of me and come on!" _

"You go," Sage answered. "I'm going to find Yuli."

"Would you slow down and listen to me for a second?!" Sage hesitated, half of his attention on how far away the Leviathans were. "Remember I said I could sense people? The kid's nowhere near here. He's nowhere in the Leviathans' path. He's fine for now. Right now we need to get to Volandra, tell her about the port – and before you ask, it's similar to a nest for Leviathans --, and then take care of these bitches. So instead of acting all self-righteous and such, _think about what I'm saying and actually believe that I know what I'm –" _

"DUCK!" Sage pushed her forward, and she just barely managed to grab the tree branch and swing around it to avoid being pierced by several large spikes. 

"K'so." Dilys balanced herself on the branch and faced the first Leviathan to catch up to them. "I don't have _time to deal with you!" _

"Looks like it's time to fight again," Sage muttered. He leaped off his branch and hit the ground, donning his full armor in the process. Two Leviathans followed, both of them intent on making a Sage-shish-kabob. The no-datchi came up, and blade hit blade with a loud echoing clang. _They're strong!_

Dilys deflected several spikes with her katana, nimbly jumping from limb to limb to avoid them. She grabbed a branch above her head, and swung out her legs into a forward flip, bringing the katana around to slice through the Leviathan's attack arm. Dilys landed on the same branch, and spun in a swift roundhouse kick, knocking her opponent off the tree and onto the ground. Leaping down, she slammed one of her blades through the ship's heart, and the Leviathan melted into a puddle. 

"I hate when that happens," Dilys muttered, wiping her blade on the grass. "Sage?" 

"HELP!" 

She spun around to see another Leviathan come up behind Sage and wrap a large chain around his neck. He was still trying to keep the other two off of him with his sword, leaving himself wide open for attack. "Baka," Dilys muttered before charging over to him. 

"Ooof!" 

A sudden mass of energy shot out of nowhere, slamming into her stomach and throwing her back against a tree. Her head snapped back, and she slumped to the ground, unconscious. 

"Dilys!" Sage gasped out, trying to breath in a gulp of air in the process. _*Ryo! Cye! Kento! Rowen! If you guys can hear me – HELP!*_

"**Flare Up Now!" **

A mass of flame slammed into the Leviathan behind Sage, causing her to melt into oblivion. At the same time, there was a _whoosh of wings, and then another shot of fire as Volandra's Firescythe cut through the two he was holding off with his sword. _

Gasping in a breath of air, Sage fell to his knees in relief. "Thanks, Ryo," he said, looking up at the Ronin of Wildfire. "Dilys – she's hurt. Something hit her, I don't know what."

Volandra was already kneeling next to the other girl. "Energy beam from a Starship," she said, checking the burn on her stomach. "She should heal fast enough. Let's get out here before…" 

A shadow fell over the forest. 

"What's that?" Ryo asked. 

Volandra groaned. "Remember what I said about a Starship?"

"Oh. Shit." 

There was a bright flash of light…and then nothing. 


	15. An Old Friend

**Ronin Elementals: Prophecy of Power**

**Chapter Fifteen: An Old Friend**

Trinity gripped the edge of the counter hard, her face suddenly turning pale as she dropped the bowl of pancake batter she'd been helping Cye stir. "Lonnie…?"

"What's wrong?" Cye asked, putting down his spoon and looking at the young Elemental in concern. "Trinity?"

"I…" Trinity stepped away from the counter, absently stepping in the split batter, and sat down at once of the kitchen chairs. She pressed her hand against her head. 

Cye came over and knelt down in front of her. "Trinity, what is it?" he asked.

"Something's wrong," Trinity said uncertainly. "I'm getting…nothing. I can't hear my sister anymore…" 

Cye frowned. "Volandra?" 

Trinity nodded. 

"Hey, Rowen!" Cye shouted. "Come here!" 

The warrior of Strata appeared in the doorway, a book in his hand. "What's going on?" he asked.

"Do you know where Ryo is?" 

Rowen looked thoughtful. "I think he's still out on patrol with Volandra." He frowned. "I'd think they'd be back by now…"

"Sage and Dilys haven't returned from looking for Yuli, either," Trinity murmured.

"Yuli's back."

The three of them turned to look at Mia, who had been passing by and overheard their conversation. "He came back on his own about half an hour ago," she said. "He didn't even see Sage and Dilys." 

"I have a bad feeling," Trinity whispered. 

Cye looked at Rowen. "I think it's time for a meeting."

Rowen nodded. "I'll spread the word. Come on, Mia." The two of them left, leaving the two Torrents alone. 

Cye grabbed a roll of paper towels off the counter and knelt down to clean up the spilt batter. 

"Sorry," Trinity murmured. 

"Don't worry about it," Cye replied. "I guess pancakes just weren't meant to be today. We'll make them tomorrow." He threw the dirty towels into the trashcan and picked up the bowl and whisk, setting both of them in the sink. "Now where did I put that mop…?"

Trinity got out of the chair and knelt down, placing her hand above the slick spot on the floor. Almost immediately, a small layer of water covered the area, and then evaporated, leaving the floor perfectly clean and dry. 

Cye looked impressed. "You need to teach me that." He held out his hand. "Here…the others are probably in the living room."

Trinity allowed Cye to help her stand, and she bit her lip. "I hope I'm wrong," she said quietly. "But I think Lonnie and Dilys are in trouble…and I think it has something to do with the Leviathans."

"I hope you're wrong, too," Cye said. "Because if you're not, then they have Sage and Ryo, too…and we're in big trouble." 

Trinity nodded, and both of them clung to the small hope that their friends were okay.

The hope vanished when they walked into the living room and saw the grim look on Micaela's face. 

Trinity gripped Cye's hand tight. "My sister?"

"Volandra, Dilys, Sage, and Ryo have been taken by the Leviathans," Micaela replied. "I saw it the minute Rowen told me they had not come back yet. They were ambushed just outside the barrier. The number of Leviathans indicated that there was a large quantity of ships stationed in this area…most likely, they have erected a space port." 

"Space port?" Kento asked.

"A place where many Leviathans can congregate and rejuvenate," Kala explained. "To destroy one space port can mean damage to up to fifty Leviathans at once." 

"They've managed to create a structure that large in such a short amount of time?" Sekhmet asked incredulously.

"Their technology far surpasses human technology," Janna said. "Of _course_ they could create a space port in only a day after they've claimed an area." 

Dais glared at Sekhmet, cutting off his retort to Janna. "Do you know where they're being held?" Dais asked Micaela.

Micaela shook her head. "No…I am very sorry. My power is drained from this barrier, and I cannot control it, in any case. As you say, gomen nasai." 

"It's all right." Mia put her hand on Micaela's shoulder. "You've helped us out enough by just telling us what happened to them." 

"There is one more thing I can tell you," Micaela said. "And that is that they _are_ alive. The Leviathans would never kill a prime Elemental specimen, and they will no doubt be curious about Ryo and Sage's abilities. So that buys us some time." 

"Who knows how long, though," Kayura murmured. She looked at the other Elementals. "Do any of you have a way of tracking each other?"

Kia frowned. "Well, Trinity has always had a sixth sense about Volandra…but if they split Volandra up from the others, that doesn't help." Without her sunglasses, her dark blue eyes were serious with thought. Then she smiled and looked at Chiara. "Chiara…your spells. I seem to remember a locator somewhere in there." 

Chiara nodded hesitantly. "Ye-es…" she said quietly. "But it's been awhile since I've used any of my spells. I don't know if I still have to power, being as out of practice as I am."

"An amplifier might help," Kia suggested. "Someone with similar power…perhaps Cale, over there?" She nodded to the Warrior of Winter. 

"Me?" Cale blinked and pointed to himself. 

Chiara smiled at him. "Would you?" 

Cale melted. "Sure. What do you need me to do?" 

"Whipped," Kento muttered to Dais. Dais nodded in agreement. 

"Give me some time to prepare," Chiara said. "I need to get my alter set before I can work the amplification spell. I'll call you when it's ready…but may I use your room for the preparations? I need a place that's set apart of the rest."

"Sure," Cale said. 

Micaela nodded. "While you do that, I think I will go and see if I can get a better handle on things from outside," she said. "Do not fear…I will stay within the barrier. Would a couple of you care to join me? Mia? Kayura?"

Kayura and Mia looked at each other, and then shrugged. "Okay," they said. 

Micaela smiled. 

*****

"I'm assuming there was a reason you wanted us to come with you?" Kayura asked Micaela once they had reached the far side of the lake, at the edge of the barrier. 

"Yes," Micaela said, nodding. "I wanted to ask your opinions. You see, I was inspecting a picture that Kento took earlier of Cye and Trinity. The picture didn't seem to develop correctly – there's a spot of yellow light right in the middle of the Polaroid." She pulled the picture out of her pocket and handed it to Mia. "See it?"

Mia nodded. "So there was a fault with the film, or the camera." 

"The camera, no," Micaela said, shaking her head. "I tested it inside the house…the pictures were perfect. As for the film, perhaps, but I get the feeling that there's something else." 

"So what did you want to do?" Kayura asked, leaning against the Ancient's Staff. 

"Cye and Trinity were over there." Micaela pointed across the lake. "What I would like to do is take a series of pictures, and see if the same light shows up. If it does, and it is in only a certain spot, that completes step one."

"Step one? What's step two?"

"Why, determine the source of the light, of course." Micaela pointed to an area nearby. "There would be a good starting place. The two of you stand over there, please." 

Kayura and Mia glanced at each other, then did as directed. 

Micaela raised the camera and snapped the picture. When it developed, it was a perfect picture. Not a spot of light anywhere.

They repeated this several times, moving to different locations around the lake, and sometimes in the woods that surrounded the lake. Always it was the same result – no mysterious light. After an hour of this, Kayura sighed and looked over to the mansion. "Chiara's probably ready to do the locator spell by now…we should head back."

"Just one more," Micaela said. "There, over by those rocks just beyond the tree line of the forest. I would like to take the last picture there."

Sighing, Mia moved over into the position. "Snap away," she said. 

Micaela took the picture, and then waited for it to development.

"Oh, wow," Kayura breathed. "It's _identical." _

The center of the photograph was a yellow light, the shade _exactly the same as the one in the picture that had been taken earlier. _

"It is not a flaw in the film," Micaela said with certainty. "Otherwise, we would have seen it in the other pictures as well. I would say this warrants further investigation." She looked up and over to where Mia was standing. "Mia…Mia?" She repeated the name questioningly when she saw that Mia seemed to be staring at something behind her in the woods. 

Micaela and Kayura looked at each other, then hurried over to where Mia was standing. "Mia?" Kayura asked.

"He's here," Mia whispered. "He wants me to follow him." Her eyes were blank, and a yellow glow seemed to fill them slightly as she walked further into the woods.

Kayura put her hand on Mia's shoulder, and recoiled instantly. "Something shocked me!" she said, eyes wide. "Mia? Mia!" 

"She cannot hear us," Micaela said. "Something is calling to her…perhaps it would be better if we just followed along silently. 

Kayura looked doubtful, but nodded.

Mia continued to stay in her trance state as they walked, and Kayura began to notice that they weren't really getting deeper into the woods…they seemed to be staying the same distance away from the house, only moving along the circle the woods created around the property. "Ne, Micaela…isn't this near the area we left the Staffs?" 

Micaela nodded. "Yes…I wonder…"

"What?"

"If perhaps it is that light which is calling to Mia," Micaela said. "Perhaps it is not _just_ light…but an ethereal form." 

"And ethereal form?"

"A soul trapped between planes, neither alive nor dead. Though usually such forms need a mediator to communicate with the living," Micaela explained. "This is very curious, very curious indeed." 

Kayura frowned slightly. 

And then Mia stopped.

In front of her was the small clearing, where the Staff of the Ancients and the Staff of the Oracles stood, gold and silver, in the center. Spiraling away from them was the power they possessed, which formed the barrier that protected those within from the Leviathans. 

Kayura and Micaela both stopped at the edge of the clearing, but Mia began walking again, right up to the Staff of the Ancients. She reached out, and lightly touched the rings at the top of the Staff.

The yellow light disappeared from her eyes, and she gasped, stumbling backwards. Kayura and Micaela hurried forward to stop her from falling on her butt, but Mia looked around in confusion. "What…how did we get here?"

"_You_ brought us here, Mia," Kayura said. "Don't you remember?" 

Mia looked confused. "I…did?" 

"Yeah…" 

"I don't remember…" 

_I'm not surprised...I had to put you in a trance to bring you here. I'm sorry, Mia._

Kayura and Mia both stiffened, and looked at each other with wide eyes. Micaela looked confused. "What in the world?" 

_Over here. _

The three of them turned, and gasped simultaneously.

Standing in front of the Ancient Staff was a figure, transparent and surrounded by a gold glow, dressed in the robes of a monk. Auburn hair hung down his back, and confident eyes looked at them. _I was waiting for you to find me._

"No way," Kayura breathed. "Anubis?" 

Anubis nodded, smiling. _Surprised? _

"But you're dead," Mia whispered. 

_Unfortunately, Anubis agreed. __But like my predecessor, the Ancient One, I didn't entirely leave this plane of existence. I've been trapped inside the Ancient's Staff…I was only able to move about recently. _

Micaela bit her lip thoughtfully. "How recently?" 

_A few weeks. _

She nodded. "When I brought the Oracle Staff to Japan. That makes sense." Then she blinked. "But I never imagined it would release a _ghost_." 

Anubis winced. _I like to think of myself as a potential…not really a ghost._

"_You_ were the yellow light, weren't you?" Mia asked. "The one in the photo!" 

Anubis looked sheepish. _I suppose so. I didn't realize I would show up on film…too bad you couldn't recognize me, then._

"Anubis, we could really use you right about now," Kayura said honestly. "There's so much going on…" 

_I know about all of it, Anubis replied. __I've been talking to the Ancient One about the Elementals, and I have some interesting information that you might want to know. It's about the last two Elementals._

Micaela's eyes widened. "Raven and Milanthra?" she asked. 

"The two that were lost in time?" Kayura asked. Micaela nodded. 

_The Ancient One was able to locate them after they'd returned to the time stream, Anubis said. _So he told me their identities.__

"Who are they?" Mia asked. 

_They're… _

"MICAELA! MIA! KAYURA!" Kento's voice boomed out from the direction of the house. 

Micaela's eyes widened. "Oops! We completely forgot…they must be ready to do the incantation now!" She looked at Anubis apologetically. "We have to go…otherwise Chiara will lose her window." 

Anubis sighed. "Very well, then." 

Mia looked at him. "We'll be back as soon as we can…okay? But right now we need to find Ryo and the others."

Anubis nodded in understanding. "Go ahead," he said. He smiled sadly. "I won't be going anywhere." 

Micaela was already hurrying back to the mansion. Kayura paused. "Anubis?" she asked. "We miss you." 

Anubis smiled at her. "I miss all of you as well, Kayura. Go. I'll be waiting for you to return." He looked at Mia when he said this, and Mia bit her lip and looked down. 

Kayura grabbed Mia's hand. "Let's go! Bye, Anubis!" She pulled Mia after Micaela.

Anubis sighed as he watched them go. _I know you'll come back…I just hope it won't be too late._


	16. Trapped

**Ronin Elementals**

**Prophecy of Power**

**Chapter Sixteen: Trapped**

_Oh, my head…_

Fighting back pain as it shot through her skull, Dilys opened her eyes and found herself staring up at a metal ceiling. She tried to move her head to gather more of her surroundings, but something was wrapped around her neck, keeping her fastened to whatever she was lying on – it felt like a cold slab of metal. Biting her lip, she tried to move her arms, then her legs, and found them fastened in a similar fashion. 

_What the hell is going on here?_

Frowning, Dilys closed her eyes and tried to remember the last thing that had happened. She remembered arguing with Sage…running into Volandra and Ryo…and then…

Her eyes shot wide open. _Leviathans! she thought, her heart pounding. Had she been captured again? Was she going to find herself back in the holding container? Gritting her teeth, she break free of the bindings, but Kala was the one with the super-strength. _

Then an idea occurred to her. Biting her lip, Dilys closed her eyes and concentrated on her left arm. Yes, the binding was at her wrist…but was it far enough down? Had the Leviathans been that careless? 

Either way, it would give her a weapon. 

Dilys felt the skin at her wrist part slightly, the slight tingling sensation of the sharp blade sliding out of her arm. She moved slowly, although that hurt more than the fast cut she usually had – it was like trying to remove a splinter but only succeeding in making it go in a little deeper with each attempt. As the sword began to extend, Dilys drew in a deep breath…

And let out a cry as an electric impulse shot through her arm, burning fire racing through her circuitry. Immediately she drew the blade back into her arm, and the impulses stopped, but they left her feeling ragged, panting softly. _What the hell was that?_ she thought, breathing heavily and shivering. Her entire right arm, her cyborg arm, had gone completely numb. She wasn't sure, but she had the sinking suspicion that the electricity had damaged a couple of her circuits. She was relieved when the numbness disappeared after a few minutes…apparently the damage hadn't been too great. 

But it still wasn't good news for her. 

Now she could feel little wires running into her right arm and, on further examination, her left leg. They had her circuits rigged up to some sort of machine that tried to fry her every time she used her powers. And since her blades were part of her power – they had an electric current running through them, making them even more deadly – she couldn't use them to try and free herself without risking serious injury.

So either she stayed where she was and waited for some Leviathan to come and get her…

…or she risked serious injury. 

Really, once things were put into that perspective, it wasn't that hard to figure out. 

Gritting her teeth, Dilys closed her eyes again and summoned her blade, feeling it slice out of her skin once more, faster this time now that she knew she didn't want to prolong it. Almost instantly it felt like her arm was on fire, and she bit her lip to muffle her screams, so hard that she could taste blood. Her sword shot out of her arm and sliced through the bonds that held her arm down. Once it was completely unsheathed, the impulses stopped. 

Dilys lay there for a few minutes, breathing heavily, trying to catch her breath. Her right arm was completely numb, but she couldn't begin to assess the damage just then. Carefully, she brought her blade up to the bond at her throat, and used the blade to slice neatly through it, wincing slightly as she accidentally caught her skin. She managed to free herself from that bond, and then proceeded to cut off the rest of the bonds at her wrist and ankles. 

Shakily, she stood from the slab, her left leg almost giving out on her, but fortunately it wasn't as damaged as her arm. The same arm that fell limply to her side. Dilys assessed the damage, and groaned in frustration when she realized that the circuitry had been completely destroyed…her arm was useless, leaving her with only one weapon. She'd have to be completely refitted once she got out of…wherever she was. 

_Probably the space port, she thought as she looked around the room she was in. Aside from the slab she'd been on and the machinery that she'd been hooked up to, there was nothing else that could be considered furnishings. It looked like some sort of cell…which, Dilys figured, it probably was. _

The door was locked by a keypad, and she went over to it, kneeling down and inspecting the locking mechanism. The keypad was on the other side of the wall, but she could see how the lock was activated from this side, and thanks to that, judge where the circuits for the electronic lock her. Retracting her blade, she pressed her hand over the correct spot on the wall, and transferred a large amount of electrical current into the system. 

Smoke poured from the space between the door and the wall, and blue sparks shot out as she overloaded the circuits. A second later, the door slid open, and Dilys slipped out into the hallway.

There was a line of doorways identical to the one she'd just busted, both on the same side of the hall and across from it, going down in either direction. _A holding facility_, she realized. She smiled slightly. If she was here, the others might be, too. 

Moving cautiously down the line, Dilys paused at each doorway and inspected it. A lot of them were unlocked, indicating that there was no one inside. At each locked door, she pressed her palm on it, and closed her eyes, focusing. She and her friends were able to identify each other over short distances, and she could probably identify Sage, as well – if she bothered to try. 

She was almost to the end of the line when she finally got a trickle of familiarity. 

Dilys scanned the keypad, then plugged in the code she'd absorbed from the pad's memory of the last numbers that had been plugged in. The door slid open, and she stepped inside. 

It took a moment for her eyes to adjust…the lighting was poor in this room, and it had a lot more things in it than hers had. Dilys narrowed her eyes slightly, and could make out motion sensors lining the area around the middle of the room – where Volandra sat, chained to the floor. She didn't seem to be awake.

"Lonnie?" Dilys called softly, trying to get a reaction without disturbing anything in the room. "Are you awake?" 

At first, there wasn't an answer from the Draconian. Dilys started to call her name again – and Volandra raised her eyes, red eyes blinking. "Dilys?" she asked in confusion. "What are you doing here?" 

Dilys breathed a sigh of relief. "Looking for you, she replied. "Are you okay?" 

Volandra bit her lip, then shook her head. "My wing is broken…" she said softly. 

Confused, Dilys tried to figure out what Volandra meant – then her eyes caught sight of the huge white and red wings that protruded from Volandra's back. She must've summoned them when they were attacked by the Leviathans…Dilys couldn't remember much about what anyone else had done before she'd been knocked out. "They broke your wing?" she asked.

Volandra nodded. "It hurts…a lot. And the way they have it chained…" Her voice trembled slightly. "Dilys…can you help me? I can't stay here…I need to get out of here…" 

"So do I," Dilys said quietly. Too many bad memories of when they were younger. She summoned her only working blade, then moved carefully over the sensors, her sensitive vision enabling her to see where each track was and allowing her to avoid it. Then she knelt down next to Volandra and began to cut through the chains. "Can you call your wings back?" she asked once they were free.

Volandra shook her head. "They broke it right along the joint," she said. "It hurts too much…I tried before I realized I was chained, and I almost passed out." 

Dilys cut through the chains on her wrists and ankles, then retracted the blade and helped Volandra into a standing position. "Lean on me," she said, being careful not to disturb Volandra's wing. Volandra put her arm around Dilys' shoulders for support. "Step where I tell you to." 

It was slow going, and it took them almost ten minutes to navigate through the sensors again, but finally Dilys and Volandra were out of the cell. They leaned against the wall for a few minutes, listening carefully to make sure no one was nearby. Then Dilys looked at Volandra.

"Can you walk?" Dilys asked her. 

Volandra bit her lip, and nodded. She took a step forward, and almost cried out as the wall jostled her wing. "Then…isn't going…to work," she gasped out. 

"I was afraid of that," Dilys muttered. "The hallway is too narrow for your wingspan." 

"What do we do?" Volandra asked. 

"We find a safe place to put you," Dilys replied. "Then I'm going to find Ryo and Sage. The three of us should be able to get you out – and Sage has healing power, if I'm not mistaken." She scowled. She had the power to instantly heal herself, but healing others was a gift that had been granted to the armor bearer, not the Elemental. 

Volandra leaned against her, groaning softly. 

"Don't worry," Dilys said, her voice softening a bit. "We'll get out of this, Lonnie." 

_I just hope the others are looking for us. Because I get the feeling we're going to need some help. _


	17. Talking

**Ronin Elementals**

**Prophecy of Power**

**Chapter Seventeen: Talking**

Where was a nice, warm fire when you needed one? 

Come to think of it, a nice warm bed would be nice, too. A comfortable one. With fluffy pillows and fluffy blankets. Anything better than the slab of concrete Ryo had been lying on for the last couple of hours. 

"Still can't sleep?" 

Ryo looked over at Sage, who was lying on an identical concrete slab. They were separated by a wall of bars that they had both already attempted to break through, with no luck. Neither of them was chained up, but considering the lack of escape routes from the cell, that probably wasn't a concern for their captors. 

"No," he said. "Even if I were tired, I don't think I'd be able to. This place gives me the creeps." 

"I know," Sage said. "Everything here…it's so…artificial." He sat up and shivered.

"It's almost enough to make a guy sick," Ryo agreed. "There's no natural element...almost as if everything inside of here is blocked off from the rest of the world." 

"And our armors don't work," Sage added, "which makes it even worse." 

The two of them sat on their slabs, looking at each other. "Where do you think the girls are?" Ryo asked. 

"Somewhere else in this place, I wager," Sage said. "If we were captured, I don't see how they could've escaped. I don't care how much more practice they've had fighting these things – there were just too many of them." 

"Why do you think they split them up from us, but not the two of us from each other?" Ryo asked. 

"Stupid planning?" Sage shrugged. "Who knows?" 

Ryo frowned. "Given everything that we know about these Leviathans, it doesn't seem to me like they'd make foolish mistakes. They must have a reason." 

"So what is it?" 

"Do I look like Rowen to you?" Ryo snapped. "He's the genius, not me." 

Sage held up his hands. "Hey, don't jump down _my throat," he said. "I'm not the one who brought us here." He frowned in irritation. "Is that girl hadn't been distracting me, I would've sensed them sooner." _

"You mean Dilys?" Ryo asked mildly. "You two really don't get along, do you?" 

"There's just something about her that irritates me," Sage grumbled. "She's always acting like she knows more than we do…more about our powers, more about our armors, more about fighting…" 

"Sage," Ryo said, "she's about one thousand years older than you. She's seen more and done more. She probably _does know more about the armors, powers, and fighting than you do." _

"And you," Sage said.

"And me," Ryo agreed. "See, I can accept that. I don't have a problem with the girls having a better grasp on these things then I do, so long as they're our allies and not our enemies." 

Sage didn't say anything. 

Ryo raised an eyebrow. "You don't trust them, do you?" 

The Halo warrior sighed and looked at Ryo with serious eyes. "Just how much do we know about them?" he asked. "We know what they told us, and we know what some long-dead woman wrote down in a book that she passed on to her ancestors. That's it. And don't forget, they've been in the hands of the enemy for a thousand years. There's no way of knowing what was done to them – there's no way to be sure they're on our side. We just accepted them without really thinking it through." 

"Cye trusts them," Ryo said. 

"Cye trusts a lot of people." 

"And how often has he been wrong?" 

Sage sighed. "Look, I'm just saying, I think we were a little hasty taking their word for it before doing some of our own interest." 

"It wasn't like we could go to the library or anything, Sage," Ryo said. "We didn't have time to think about it before everything went to hell. And you have to admit, they've been a huge help." 

Sage shrugged. "I just wish we knew the whole story." 

"So do they, I think," Ryo replied. "Look, both of our groups are in the dark on a lot of things. We don't know what role the Elementals are going to play when it comes to our armors, and we don't know what effect our armors are going to have on them. But Sage, they haven't done anything to betray our trust – and until they do, I'm willing to accept them." Tiger-blue eyes met violet. "I can't tell you what to do – but give them a chance, Sage." 

Sage stared at the floor, and Ryo couldn't tell if he was just ignoring him, or thinking over what he'd said. When his friend spoke again, though, it wasn't on the subject of the Elementals. "We need to figure out some way to get out of here," he said. He stood from the bed and walked over to the bars that separated his cell from Ryo's. Lightly he tapped them, and a current of electricity shot through, shocking his finger. He winced and drew it back, sticking the tingling appendage in his mouth. "Electrical charge. If I had my armor, I could probably deflect some of it long enough to break through the bars…" 

"But you don't have your armor, and what good would breaking through _those_ bars do?" Ryo asked. "All it would do would allow you to pass through to my cell and vice versa." 

"Well, what else can we do?" Sage asked. 

"Look for another exit?" Ryo stood up and looked around, half-hoping that something would've appeared since the last time he'd glanced around the cell. Nope. Wall. Wall. Wall. Bars. Bed. Lights. That was pretty much it. Ryo looked at the ceiling. "Well, at least we don't have to worry about not being able to see." 

The lights flickered. 

Then they went out.

From the pitch-black darkness, Sage's voice wafted through. "Thanks, Ryo." 

"Hey, I didn't do anything!" Ryo protested, gulping slightly. "What the hell happened?" 

"I'd say a severe power outage," Sage replied. "Look on the bright side. If I could see the bars, we could break through them now." 

"Great. Then you can come over here and we'll have a slumber party. Somehow, the thought isn't refreshing. Now what do we do?" 

"I have no clue." 


	18. Search for Wildfire and Halo

**Ronin Elementals**

**Prophecy of Power**

**Chapter Eighteen: Search for Wildfire and Halo**

Kale and Sekhmet's room had been completely transformed. Every window had been covered by a heavy black cloth to prevent any light from the outside coming in, and the beds had been shoved against the wall on different sides of the room – along with all the other furniture, including Sekhmet's collection of poisonous Beanie Babies. 

In the middle of the room, a large pentagram had been inscribed on the floor, drawn with salt. A candle had been lit at each tip of the star, each one a different color – red, dark blue, green, light blue, and orange. In the middle was a lavender candle. The candles provided the only lights in the room. 

Kayura, Mia, and Micaela stepped inside, and looked around. Everyone else was already there. Janna was leaning against one of the walls, looking at the pentagram, while the Ronins, Yuli, and White Blaze found themselves places to sit around the perimeter of the room. 

"Are you sure it's okay for us to be in here?" Mia asked Janna. 

Janna nodded. "So long as none of us enter the circle, it doesn't matter if we're here," she said. "The spell only effects those inside the circle."

Kayura looked at the salt-drawn circle skeptically. "Are we sure this is going to work?" 

"No," Janna replied bluntly. "Chiara's had to improvise on the spell, since two of the key components for the locator spell are missing."

"Missing?" Kento frowned from across the room. "No one told us that." 

"The spell is designed to locate missing members of a group," Chiara said softly as she walked into the room. Kale looked up, and his eyes widened slightly. She was dressed in a flowing lavender shift, her hair hanging loosely around her shoulders. Her armor crystal was fastened at the collar of the shift, just above her breasts, and a series of intricate designs had been drawn on her skin, moving up her arms and legs and visible where the shift didn't cover her skin. 

"Wow," Kale couldn't help saying. 

Chiara glanced at him, and blushed slightly, averting her eyes. She looked over her shoulder. "Ready?" 

"Hai," Trinity said softly. She, Kia, and Kala came in, each of them wearing their armors.

Chiara moved to the center of the pentagram, standing next to the lavender candles. She motioned to the other three, who each took a position next to the candles representing their armor colors. 

"What exactly is this spell supposed to do?" Dais asked. 

"It's supposed to give us the location of Dilys and Volandra," Chiara replied, looking at him. "The spell calls for a representation of each member of a group – the actual people if they're available, for else something that represents each of them." Chiara bit her lip. "Unfortunately, we don't _have_ anything for Volandra or Dilys. The next option would've been to use their armor partners, but both Ryo and Sage are missing as well. So I've stretched the interpretation of the spell to its limits, and am using a personal belonging from both Ryo and Sage. I'm hoping the energy signatures will be enough for the spell to latch onto them, and then tap into Kia, Kala, and Trinity to locate Volandra and Dilys." 

Rowen looked around, and saw that Chiara had used one of Sage's kendo swords and a T-shirt of Ryo's to act the part of the representations. They were positioned on the floor in front of red and green candles. 

"Since we're also attempting to locate Ryo and Sage, as well as Volandra and Dilys, I'd like the three of you," Chiara nodded to Rowen, Kento, and Cye, "to stand behind Kia, Kala, and Trinity. You'll act as a reinforcement for the representations of the Ryo and Sage."

Kento looked at Cye, who shrugged. "It's worth a try," Cye said, moving over to stand behind Trinity. "Do we need to be in our armors?"

Chiara shook her head. "Too much power may confuse the spell." She waited until Kento and Rowen were in place, then looked at the others. "If you could all stand back and make sure you aren't in the circle…and Kale, if you could step forward." 

Kale blinked. "Me?" he asked, pointing at himself. 

Chiara nodded, biting her lip. "I need an additional channel to my power, and as your armor is the complement to me, you need to be in this center with me." She looked at him shyly. "You don't have to worry – all you have to do is stand." 

 Kale walked into the center of the circle and stood in front of Chiara. The Druid girl placed her hands on his arms, stepping forward so that she was less than an inch away from him. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. 

Dais, Kayura, Mia, Sekhmet, Janna, Micaela, and Yuli watched uncertainly, being as quiet as they could manage. At first, nothing seemed to happen. The only sounds in the room were the sounds of breathing. Dais shifted restlessly, and realized that they'd been standing there for a few minutes…and that the people in the circle hadn't moved once in that whole time. Not even to shift their weight or such. 

"Hecate," Chiara's voice suddenly spoke up, barely above a whisper, but seemingly loud in the otherwise silent world. "I call on you to this Circle of Five. Lend your protection to those within." 

Beside Dais, Kayura drew in a sharp breath as faint lines began to appear, connecting each candle to all of the other candles, forming a star shape on the ground within a circle. The lines expanded slightly, growing and rising off the ground around Chiara and the others. 

"Summon thy power," Chiara intoned. As she spoke, her shift began to glow, then changed into a black bodysuit. A dark brown breastplate formed over her chest, as a black armor skirt wrapped around her waist. Brown boots formed on her feet, and her hair was held out of her face by a black headband. On her forehead, the lavender symbol of Ko appeared. 

As this happened, Kale's identical virtue symbol appeared on _his_ forehead, and his armor appeared on him as well, minus the helmet and without his weapon anywhere in sight. His eyes were closed, and he'd brought his arms up to place his hands on Chiara's arms, much in the same way she was doing to him. Sekhmet shivered slightly as the temperature seemed to drop in the room. "Why'd it get so cold in here?" he whispered. 

"It's the sign that Chiara and Kale have joined their power," Janna whispered back. "As the element of Winter, the environment changes to match them, to allow them to greatest ability of power." 

"Shhh," Micaela murmured. "Look."

Within the points of the star, Kala, Kento, Trinity, Cye, Kia, and Rowen's symbols of Gi, Shin, and Inochi appeared on their foreheads, though their armors didn't appear. Their eyes were still closed, and they seemed to be in deep concentration. 

"By the four corners of heaven and earth, I call on thee, Athena, to do my bidding," Chiara said softly. "I summon thee to complete the circle. Grant us the knowledge that we seek." 

The temperature in the room dropped further, and Janna placed her hand on Sekhmet's arm. He noticed this, but he was too entranced in what he was to watching to make much of a comment on it. 

Suddenly Chiara's voice rose, and her eyes opened, the irises and pupils pure black. "Goddess Athena, I summon thee!" she intoned, her voice echoing in the room. "Complete thy circle!" 

The light forming the pentagram on the ground glowed brightly, and the flames on the candles flickered. Then both forms of light vanished, and the room was plunged into darkness. 

Everyone froze for a moment, unsure of what to do. Then the flames on the candles appeared again, allowing everyone to see. 

"Whoa," Kento said, shaking his head slightly. "What was that? I feel lightheaded." 

"What happened?" Mia asked, confused. 

"The spell is complete," Chiara said, back in her shift and looking pale. Her armor, as well as Kale's had vanished. Everything was back to the way it had been before Chiara had begun the spell.

"That was it?" Rowen asked, raised his eyebrows. "But there wasn't enough time." 

Kia looked at the clock on the wall. "Fifteen minutes have passed since the spell began," she said. She looked at Rowen. "We must have been in a trance." 

Rowen's eyes were wide, and he looked at the clock as well. "Wow…" 

"So, what now?" Cye asked. "Did we get an answer?"

"I didn't see anything," Dais said. He looked at Chiara. "Well?" 

Chiara was still holding Kale's arms, breathing heavily. The spell had apparently taken a bit out of her. "We must wait for an answer," she said. "The spell was merely a call out to Athena, the goddess of wisdom."

"And how are we supposed to get this answer?" Sekhmet asked…then he let out a cry as Janna suddenly dug her nails into the skin of his arm. He looked at her, eyes wide. "What's the big…" His voice trailed off. 

Janna was clutching him with one hand, the other pressed against her head. Her eyes were closed in pain as she doubled over, struggling to stay upright by supporting herself with Sekhmet. She started to tremble violently, and on her forehead appeared the symbol of Tei.

"Janna?" Kayura asked, eyes wide. 

Letting out a cry, Janna fell forward, and would've hit the ground if not for Sekhmet's quick thinking. He moved in front of her and caught her, and she clung to him, shaking and jerking in her seizure. "Janna?" he cried. "Janna?!" 

Then, just as suddenly as it had begun, it stopped, and she leaned against him, her head resting against his shoulder. "Damn," she whispered, her voice shaky. "Next time, Chiara, tell Athena to warn me, okay?" 

Chiara didn't respond. At the same time Janna had snapped out of her seizure, she'd passed out against Kale from exhaustion. 

"What happened?" Sekhmet exclaimed. 

Janna leaned against him, breathing heavily. "Vision," she said. "Because I'm a Seer, I'm the easiest way for the Higher Powers to communicate." She drew in a few more breaths. "I know where they are." 

Sekhmet straightened up, helping her stand. "Where?" Trinity asked anxiously. 

"They were taken to the spaceport in Toyama," Janna replied. "They were separated – Ryo and Sage are being held in a holding cell within the depths of the spaceport, and Dilys and Volandra were being held in one of the outer regions." 

"Were?" Dais asked. 

Janna nodded. "They managed to escape, but Volandra is hurt. Dilys hid her in a storage unit, then went to try and find the guys, but she doesn't know where they are." She pressed her hand against her head. "Ow…" 

"So they're in the spaceport," Kala sighed. "Great. Go figure." 

"Part of my vision was a map of the inner workings of the port," Janna added. "I can guide." Her strength seemed to return to her as she spoke, and now she raised her head, which no longer pounded so much…and realized that Sekhmet still had her arms around her, and she was still clutching him. She pulled back immediately, glaring at him. "What's the big idea?" 

"Huh?" Sekhmet looked at her, surprised. 

Janna put her hands on her hips. "Who said you could put your arms around me?" 

"Put my…" Sekhmet folded his arms over her chest. "I was just stopping you from falling over! You're the one who grabbed my arm first!" 

"I was just preparing myself for the vision!" Janna snapped. "That doesn't give you the right to try to take advantage of me!" 

"Take advantage of you?!" Sekhmet exclaimed. "Who in their right mind would want to do that? I'd have to be crazy!" 

"JERK!" 

"BITCH!" 

"BASTARD!" 

"SNAKE!" 

"BUG-EYES!" 

"DON'T CALL ME BUG-EYES!" 

"Kami-sama, you two fight like you're married," Kale said dryly. 

Janna and Sekhmet stopped in mid-insult, looked at each other, then looked at Kale. "OH, SHUT-UP!" 

Kale just grinned, and picked up Chiara, placing her on the bed. "If you all don't mind, I think she needs to get some rest," he said. "So out. Everyone, out." 

Dais nodded. "We need to talk about our next step…which means the two of you need to keep your mouths shut, or at least stay on the opposite side of the room," he added to Sekhmet and Janna. The two of them glared at each other. Then Janna turned and marched out of the room. 

Sekhmet glared after her. "Where does she get off?" he muttered. "What did I ever do to her?" 

"Actually, she only argues with people she likes," Kia said mildly. "If she doesn't like you, she'll just give you the cold shoulder." 

"Then judging from the amount of fighting she does with Sekhmet, she must have a crush on him," Rowen murmured, smirking. 

Sekhmet narrowed his eyes, a light blush rising on his cheeks. "Stay out of this," he growled, pushing past the two Stratas and stalking out of the room. 

Kia and Rowen grinned at each other, then followed the others out of the room. 

Micaela stayed behind, and when the others were gone, she walked over to Kale. "How is she?" 

"Just sleeping," Kale replied, sitting in a chair that had been pushed near the bed. "That spell took a lot out of her." 

"And you?" 

Kale blinked, looking at her. "What do you mean, and me? I didn't do anything." 

"You were just as much a part of that as she was," Micaela replied. "Both of your armors appeared when she summoned her power." 

"Well, yeah," Kale said. "She was using my power to strengthen hers." 

Micaela smiled. "Perhaps. But I think you lent her more than just your armor power." She held out her hand. "May I?" she asked as she placed it on his forehead. 

Kale looked uncertain. "Um, sure," he said. 

Micaela pressed the palm of her hand against his forehead and closed her eyes. An odd warmth went through Kale, and he shivered slightly from it. Then he opened his eyes, having not even realized he'd had them closed. "What was that?" 

Micaela looked at him. "That was your power," she said. "It is close to the surface because Chiara called on it." 

"My power?" Kale looked confused. 

Micaela nodded. "_Oui. Yes. Your power. I suspected from the amount of power and the strength of the spell that there was more than just Chiara's power at work. I'd say you have a bit of the Druid in you as well." _

Kale stared at her. 

Micaela stood up. "I am beginning to suspect that there is a reason your particular group of armor bearers were chosen to be the ones to meet with the Elementals," she said. 

"What do you mean?" Kale asked, still trying to absorb what she had already said. 

Micaela looked at him and smiled, a somewhat speculative smile. "We shall see," she said, shrugging slightly. "Watch over her until she wakes up." Then she turned and left the room.

Kale stared after her. "That was odd," he murmured. Then he settled back in the chair, looking at Chiara. 

Within seconds he was fast asleep. 


	19. When Halos Clash

**Ronin Elementals**

**Prophecy of Power**

**Chapter Nineteen: When Halos Clash… **

"There," Dilys said with satisfaction as she stepped back from the console she'd tapped into. With a flick of the wrist she called the cables that connected her to it back into her arm. She was relieved to be out of the lock with the computers – without the use of her other arm, she'd been completely vulnerable the entire time she'd been locked down. 

Sliding open the door to the room she was in, Dilys stepped out into the hallway, and looked around. The entire corridor was dark, and distantly she could hear several Leviathans complaining about the fact that they were having a hard time seeing. Dilys, on the other hand, could see just fine. The power she'd drained from the section console had enhanced her remaining senses, including her infrared vision, and she was having no problem making out the area around her. 

Now, if she could only just track down Ryo and Sage, get them out, and get them back to Volandra before the Leviathans discovered her injured friend's hiding spot. She had no intention of giving Volandra back to them, but the fact that Volandra was currently helpless wasn't making it easy for her to focus on what she was supposed to do. 

Fortunately, while she'd been inside the console, she'd downloaded a schematic of the section she was in, and had identified a second set of cells on the opposite end of the space port from where she and Volandra had been kept. They were less high-security, which made sense for the guys to be kept there – if the Leviathans who had captured them were typical Leviathans, they probably assumed that Ryo and Sage were just normal humans with odd armor. And it would play to their benefit to keep the Leviathans thinking that, at least until Dilys had a chance to break them out.

_Though if Sage starts in on me about how this is my fault, I may just leave him in his cell_, she thought sulkily. She couldn't help it – there was something about the blonde that irritated the _hell_ out of her, and she couldn't seem to pinpoint exactly what it was. Maybe it was the way he just seemed so damned confident that he could handle whatever got thrown at him, or maybe it was fact that he wasn't the least bit intimidated by her. She was used to being the enforcer of the group. When she and the other girls were younger, if anyone said something wrong to any of the others – usually Trinity – Dilys was right up in their face, snarling at them until they begged apology from whomever they had insulted. Sage didn't seem to be the least bit affected whenever she started snapping at him. So maybe that was it. 

Or maybe it was because, try as she might, she couldn't get the fact that he was a _damned_ good kisser out her mind. 

"_Don't_ go there, Dilys Velvet," she hissed to herself, clenching her fist. "You don't need to go in that direction. Just focus on the task at hand." To keep herself from reverting back to the train of thought that had started up, she rooted into her memory banks and called up the schematics map that she'd downloaded. To her surprise, there seemed to be an air duct that ran straight into the area, and at that moment it was passing right above her head. 

Dilys tilted her head back and peered up at the ceiling, then grinned as she caught sight of the wire-mesh grating a few feet down the hallway. Keeping one ear out for signs of Leviathans, she moved under the grating and drew out her katana, raising it up and catching the tip in the mesh. Gritting her teeth with concentration, she began working the grate out of its designation position, thinking the entire time that the job would be so much easier with two arms. Distantly, she could make out the sounds of a group of Leviathans heading her way, and almost started looking for a new route when she managed to get the grating half open. 

"Yes," she said softly, grinning. She retracted the katana, and glanced over her shoulder. Then she crouched down and jumped straight up, catching the edge of the hole and launching herself into it one-handed. 

By the time the Leviathans passed under the grate, it was firmly in place, and there was no sign that it had been moved. 

*****

"Why the hell did the lights go out?" Sage grumbled, his arms folded over his chest as he sat on the cold slab the Leviathans attempted to pass off as a bed. "This is ridiculous. Why haven't they fixed the power? Why is it so dark in here?!" 

"Calm down, Sage," Ryo's voice cut through the darkness. "Don't freak out on me now, okay?" 

"Freak out?" Sage glared in the general direction of Ryo's voice. "I'm not freaking out. I just…want the lights back on." He shuddered. "Kami-sama, I want the lights on…" 

There was a shifting sound, and then Ryo spoke again, this time closer. He'd stood up and walked towards the bars separating them. "Sage, calm down. You're reacting to the loss of your element…you need to get a grip." 

"Get a grip?" Sage repeated. "Get a grip?! I can't see a thing, Ryo! Nothing! We're completely trapped in here, helpless! What if someone comes after us? We won't be able to see them coming! And you want me to get a grip?!"

Suddenly, from above them, came the sound of metal clanking against metal. Then something crashed against the floor, loudly…followed by an even louder clang. 

"Would you shut up?" Dilys' voice said harshly. "I'm surprised no Leviathans have shown up to try and find out what all the commotion is! Sheesh. A little darkness and you turn into a two-year-old." There was a flicker, and then a beam of light appeared, lighting up the room slightly as Dilys' arm glowed. "There. Better?" 

It was amazing what a little bit of light could do to calm a person down. Sage took a deep breath. "Yeah," he said, suddenly feeling acutely embarrassed. 

"Dilys?" Ryo stared at her. "What are you doing here? And how did you get here?" 

"I crawled," Dilys replied. She motioned up, and both Ronins looked up, spotting the hole from the grating. "It was a tight fit, but I managed. And that's how we're getting out, too. We have to get to Lonnie." 

"Is she okay?" Ryo asked, standing up and going to the bars that separated the two cells. Dilys had landed in Sage's, and now turned to look at Ryo. 

"She's injured," she said quietly. "Her wings were damaged when we were captured, and she has no way to heal herself." She looked at Sage, her expression serious. "I know that you have healing powers. You'll heal her." 

Sage opened his mouth to argue, his first instinct to counter her statement due to his natural dislike of taking orders. Then he snapped his mouth shut. After all, what could he say? Of course he'd heal her. "I hope you know how to get us out of here," he said. 

"The same way that I got in," Dilys replied. "Through the air duct." 

"That's nice, but the duct is on your side of these bars, and I'm on this side," Ryo said. "And neither Sage or I can break through them without our weapons, which we can't access here." 

This made Dilys pause for a moment, and she looked at the bars curiously. Without the electricity running through them, they were just plain, ordinary metal bars. She raised her good arm, and summoned her katana, the metal gleaming with light, and it was clear that the katana had been the source of light had been coming from the blade hidden within her arm. "Move," she said. 

Ryo took a step back, and watched as Dilys pressed her blade against the metal. She closed her eyes, and the blade shown bright enough that Ryo had to close his eyes to avoid being blinding by the light. The light dimmed slightly, then flared up again, and there was another sound of metal hitting metal. 

"Open your eyes and come on," Dilys said abruptly, pulling the katana back into her arm. Ryo opened his eyes and blinked, seeing that she'd cut a section out of the bars big enough for him to step through.

"How did you do that?" he asked. 

"Super-sonic wavelength and heat," Dilys replied. Seeing Ryo's blank look, she sighed. "As I pour electricity into my katanas, they begin to vibrate and give off intense heat and light. Charge it up enough, and I can slice through pretty much any solid substance. Now come on. Get over here and get up into the duct. 

Sage stood up and Ryo crawled through the hole in the bars, and looked up at the duct. "That's about eight feet up," he said. "If we stand on each others' shoulders, we should be able to reach it." 

Dilys nodded. "So who…" Her words drifted off as she watched Sage move directly under the duct, then kneel down. Ryo placed a foot on his back, then pushed up, stepping up onto his shoulders with practiced ease. Sage straightened up, holding onto Ryo's legs to support him, until Ryo could grab the edge of the duct. With little effort he managed to pull himself up and in. 

Sage looked at Dilys. "Come on," he said. "You're turn." 

Dilys looked at Sage. "I take if you've done this before?" 

Ryo peeked over the edge of the duct. "We like to be prepared for anything," he said. "We could probably pull that off blindfolded." 

"I see." Dilys looked at Sage. "You want me to get on your shoulders?" 

"Well, yeah," Sage said, running his hand through his hair, momentarily revealing the violet eye that was normally obscured by his bangs. He knelt down again to give her a chance to step up. "Come on. I'll give you a boost." 

Dilys looked uncertain. "You won't drop me?" 

"I won't drop you," Sage replied. "Relax – I've done this hundreds of times." 

Dilys looked skeptical, but she stepped up onto his shoulders, albeit a little shakily. She tensed when he grabbed her legs to help balance her as he straightened up, but relaxed when she realized that she really wasn't going to fall. Ryo leaned down and offered her a hand up, but she ignored it, reaching up and grabbing the edge of the hole with her good hand and hauling herself up. 

Sage frowned slightly, looking up in time to see her do that. Dilys seemed to be favoring one of her arms…had she injured herself? 

"Hey," Dilys suddenly said, looking down and noticing that Sage was still down below, with no one to help him up. "How are you going to get up here?" 

It took Sage a moment to respond, as he was busy trying to figure out if anything was wrong with Dilys' arm. He shook his head slightly, then met her eyes. "Very carefully," he replied. 

Ryo reached down, bracing himself against the wall of the air duct and holding his arm out as far down as he could. Sage looked at his hand for a moment, then bent his knees slightly and jumped straight up, grabbing Ryo's forearm firmly as Ryo did the same to him. Dilys' eyes widened as Ryo managed to pull Sage up far enough for Sage to grab the edge of the hole, and pull himself in the rest of the way. 

"There," Sage said, panting slightly from the exertion. He looked at Dilys. "See? Told you we could do it." 

Dilys scowled. "Okay, fine, whatever. Can we get going now? I want to get back to Lonnie." 

Ryo nodded. Since the air duct was only wide enough to fit one person across, he ended up being in the lead as they began to make their way through. "It's just straight through, right?" 

Dilys nodded from her spot behind him. "Yes…just kept crawling." She glanced slightly behind her. "And Sage, if you dare look up my skirt, I'll kill you." 

"I don't get why you're wearing a miniskirt, anyway," Sage muttered, his eyes averted. "You don't seem the type – especially when crawling around an air duct." 

"Type?" Dilys rolled her eyes. "I didn't realize you knew me well enough to determine my _type_. Oh, please, good sir, enlighten me as to my _type_." 

"Wicked witch comes to mind," Sage snapped. "Or maybe I should change that to wicked _bitch_." 

Dilys gasped, turning as best as she could to face him. "How _dare_ you!"

Ryo groaned, pausing. "Would you two _knock it off?!_" he snapped. "The Leviathans can probably hear you on the other side of this place with the way you're yelling. I don't know what the hell's going on between the two of you, but Sage, you _promised_ you wouldn't get into any fights with her! If you two can't work together and cooperate –" 

"Stay out of this, Ryo!" Sage and Dilys said simultaneously, green and violet eyes flashing with irritation. "This has nothing to do with you!" 

Ryo blinked, taken aback by the sudden onslaught of both Halos at the same time. "Um…" 

Dilys rolled her eyes. "You know what? Let's just get going. The less time I have to stay in cramped quarters with either of you, the better." She moved to straightened out…and froze as the bottom of the air duct creaked. 

"Everyone freeze," Sage said, tensing. All three of them held in their breaths for a minute, waiting to see if anything else was going to happen. 

"Okay," Ryo said softly. "Let's move…nice and slow. I'll go first…maybe if we spread out a ways, it'll be easier." Cautiously, he began to move forward. When he was about five feet away, he looked back over his shoulder. "Okay…Dilys, you next." 

Dilys nodded, and began moving, being careful about the weight she was putting on her arms…when suddenly her injured arm gave out on her, and she fell forward with a cry. 

Ryo couldn't quite describe what happened next. All he knew was, Dilys cried out, there was a loud _bang_ as she hit the bottom, throwing all of her weight against the floor…and suddenly the bottom of the air duct gave out, and Sage and Dilys were gone.  

*****

Author's Note: Gahhhh…this took way too long to get out. I think I restarted this chapter about three times before I finally figured out what I wanted to do…ahem. Again, I apologize for the long wait. School caught up to me…but the semester will be over in a couple of weeks, so I'll definitely have more time on my hands to get things done. I'm going to get the next chapter out in a decent amount of time even if it kills me. 

I never intended for the animosity between Sage and Dilys to carry on this long – in the original _Elementals_, it was Ryo and Volandra who clashed the most. However, I've found that I rather like seeing Dilys get on Sage's nerves – so few things do. However, in the next few chapters I do intend to resolve a few issues between them…and possibly create new ones. ^_^ I'll also through some attention back on the others, who should be on their way to the Leviathan base fairly soon…though they're going to have their own problems to deal with before they meet up with the others. 

At any rate, I'll leave you to wait for the next chapter – I swear I'll try my hardest to get it out in a decent amount of time. And please, please, please review – I take everyone's comments and suggestions to heart, and it means a lot to me to hear what you have to say. Until next time! 

~ Aynslesa Morro Wolf


	20. Connection

_Author's Note: To whoever it is that keeps spamming my stories with demands that I post the Animorphs story that I said I was going to write four years ago - I have no plans to ever post that story. I stopped writing Animorphs fanfiction four years ago. So please, I would appreciate it if you would stop placing those reviews. I'm sorry if you're disappointed that I'm not writing it, but there is nothing I can do about that. It will not get written. _

_Everyone else - please, sit back and enjoy the chapter. Arigatou!_

**Ronin Elementals**

**Prophecy of Power**

**Chapter Twenty: Connection**

Volandra didn't feel so good.

The pain in her wings had died down, not from the fact that it no longer hurt, but more because she just wasn't feeling it anymore. Her wings had gone completely numb. It had been a long time since she'd suffered injuries that caused her to be unable to retract her wings, and she'd forgotten how painful it could be.

_It feels like it's a fracture_, Volandra thought with a wince. With her wings numb as they were know, she could analyze the injury a lot better than when she was in excruciating pain. It had definitely been a compound fracture, in both wings. Worse, it was right above the joint with her back, making it impossible for her to retract them even a bit. Crammed into the storage room that Dilys had left her in, Volandra could only stay in one position in order to not risk further injuring herself, but even then, it wasn't the best situation in the world.

_Definitely a fracture_, she thought for certain as she shifted slightly. She could hear the bone fragments grating against each other, but there was no pain. It was almost as if it was someone else's injury, not hers.

_Didn't Dilys tell me once that numbness meant there was no blood flow? _Volandra thought absently. _Sometimes that can lead to the amputation of a limb…will I lose my wings? That would suck. _

Dilys was lucky, she decided, resting her head against the wall. She may have lost control of her arm for the time being, but she could be repaired easily. She just needed to replace a few circuits. Maybe being a cyborg wasn't so bad. You didn't get sick – at least, not normally – and you were stronger and faster than the average human. You couldn't fly, though. That was a nice thing about being a Draconian. You could fly.

Flying was really nice. She'd been playing around with the idea of taking Ryo flying sometime – get him to see what it was like. He didn't have wings, of course, so she'd have to carry him, but it wasn't like she hadn't taken passengers before. It'd be easy. If she still had her wings, that is.

Volandra could feel her eyes getting heavier, and dimly it registered in the back of her mind that she wasn't exactly being clear with her thoughts. But she was too tired, really, to think much of that.

Footsteps echoed outside the door, but Volandra didn't really pay much attention. When was Dilys going to get back? It felt like the other girl had been gone for hours…

_What if she got captured?_ The thought suddenly shot its way into Volandra's brain, and she sat away from the wall, ignoring the pins-and-needles feeling that shot through from her wings, her body informing her that there was no blood in that area. _Yeah, yeah, I know,_ she thought sourly. She had other things to think about. She was Volandra of the Wildfire, the Last Draconian. Leader of the Ronin Elementals. If Dilys had been captured again, Volandra couldn't just sit there – she had to do something about it.

Bracing herself against the wall, Volandra hauled herself to her feet, ignoring the dizziness that swept through her as she did so. She closed her eyes and leaned against the wall for a moment, trying to steady herself by taking several deep breaths. It helped to clear her mind a bit. _Maybe I should sit back down…no. I need to find Dilys…I can't just sit here…_ Her hands pressed against the wall to guide her, she pulled herself along it towards the door to the storeroom, and leaned against it upon reaching it, straining for any sound coming from the other side. The footsteps that she'd heard earlier seemed to have stopped.

She reached for the handle to the door, but she misjudged the distance, and fell forward slightly, slamming her wing up against the wall in the process – sending shocks of the pain through her entire body as the bones were suddenly jolted into an entirely new position. Without thinking, she let out a cry and fell against the door – just as it opened from the outside, and she collapsed into a pair of arms that were suddenly there to catch her.

Tears sprang up in her eyes as she fell against the warm body, and her first thought was '_oh, shit, a Leviathan!'_ Then she realized that the arms were entirely too muscular – and the chest was entirely too flat…

"Lonnie!" a familiar voice exclaimed, and Volandra opened tear-filled eyes to find herself staring up at a pair of worried tiger-blue. She gripped Ryo's arms tighter, and tried to steady herself.

"Easy," Ryo said, gently going to his knees and wrapped his arms around her, being careful not to touch her wings. "Easy, Lonnie, it's okay…"

"R-ryo…" Volandra said shakily. "Hurts…"

"What the hell were you doing that close to the door?" Dilys demanded, moving to kneel next to them as she looked at Volandra's wings. "K'so…this is going to have a hell of a time healing if we don't get the bones back into alignment – somehow you managed to dislocate it on top of breaking it!"

Volandra whimpered slightly from the pain – at least now she knew there was still blood flowing to it. Her wings had just fallen asleep from the position she'd been in.

Gods, she wished they were still asleep…

"I w-was worried," Volandra managed, shifting in Ryo's arms to look at Dilys. For the first time, she noticed how dark it was. "You were gone for so long – what happened to the lights?"

"Dilys shut down the power." Sage stepped away from the wall where he'd been leaning, out of Volandra's eyesight until just then. "So we're under cover of darkness – but the Leviathans still have eyes, and they're bound to get control of the power back soon enough. We should move."

"We need to do something about Volandra's wings," Dilys replied, as Ryo absently ran his fingers through Volandra's hair, silently listening. "She's not going to get very far if every step she takes results in tears. And those wings are pretty noticeable."

Sage looked at Volandra, the expression in his eyes thoughtful. "I can set the bones here – but I can't do anything about the wings. I hate to say it, but Dais and his illusions would be helpful right about now."

"You're right, but he isn't here," Ryo replied, looking at his fellow warrior. "You said you can set the wings – what about healing them, like you restored my vision after Sekhmet blinded me?"

Dilys raised an eyebrow – she'd thought that Ryo and Sekhmet were on the same side, but that certainly didn't sound like it. Then she remembered that Sekhmet, Dais, and Kale had all been warlords for the Dynasty – and the Ronins' rivals at one point. So it must have happened then. She shrugged it off, then looked at Sage. "I heard you had healing powers…"

"Yes, but I can only do it when I'm using my armor," Sage replied. "I need the Armor of Halo to amplify my powers."

Dilys opened her mouth, then closed it. "And you can't call your armor in the spaceport, any more than Volandra and I can call our powers. K'so." She put her hand on her hip, glancing around to make sure that the area was still deserted as she did so. Then she looked at Volandra. Her friend's eyes were closed, and her head was resting in Ryo's lap. Except for the fact that she was biting her lip, a sure sign that she was trying to make it obvious that she was in pain, Dilys would've thought she'd been asleep. "So, if your power is amplified, you could heal her?"

Sage nodded. "I naturally heal easily – with power amplification, I can heal others. The amount depends on the amount of amplification. But without my armor…"

"Combine…" Volandra said softly, her voice sounding strained.

Dilys, Sage, and Ryo looked at her. "What?" Ryo asked.

"Combine…power," Volandra said, opening her eyes, but not shifting to look at Dilys and Sage for fear that she'd get hit by another bout of pain.

"What's she talking about?" Sage asked, looking Dilys, confused.

Dilys was frowning slightly. Then she nodded slightly. "It might work," she murmured. She looked at Sage. "Combine power…she's suggested that you and I combine our powers. It should amplify your power enough so that you can try healing her. Ideally, enough so that she can hide her wings."

"Combine powers?" Sage looked at her. "We can do that?"

"In theory…since I'm supposedly the physical manifestation of your armor's power…" Dilys looked at little troubled. "I've never tried it before, though…"

"It's worth a try," Ryo said. "But if we're going to do it, we better do it now – I'm surprised we haven't been discovered yet, but the longer we stand around here, the more likely we _are_ to be discovered."

Sage looked just as uncomfortable as Dilys at the idea of combining their powers, but he remembered his and Ryo's conversation in the cell. He sighed, then shrugged. "I suppose it's worth a shot."

"You don't have to be so enthusiastic about it," Dilys muttered under her breath. Then she looked at him. "Well, if we're going to do it, get to work. I'll amplify your power."

"Do you even know how to do it?" Sage moved forward and knelt down, reaching out to touch the break in one of Volandra's wings. Volandra let out a sharp hiss, digging her nails into Ryo's arms. "Gomen…I had to find the break. All right, I've got it – I'm going to have to set the bones so that they'll heal straight, Volandra. This is going to hurt…gomen ne." Then, without warning, he pushed on the break, forcibly shoving the bones back into place.

Volandra let out a sharp scream as fresh pain shot through her, but her cry was muffled mostly by Ryo's chest, which she had her face buried in. Sage quickly moved and did the same to the other wing, while she was experiencing the pain from the first one. Better to get it over all at once.

"Could you have been a little gentler?" Dilys hissed in Sage's ear, and he jumped, flushing slightly when he realized that she had shifted to kneel behind him, her chest pressed against his back and one hand resting on his shoulders. He swallowed hard, and turned his head slightly.

"Would you have rather her wings heal crooked?" he replied, his tone more brisk than normal to hide his embarrassment. "What are you doing?"

"Combining my powers with yours," Dilys hissed, her lips brushing against his ear. "The closer the contact, the more amplification in the shortest amount of time. And you and I both want this over as fast as possible, so shut up and deal with it."

Sage narrowed his eyes, then turned away so that he couldn't see her. _Just ignore her…focus on the healing…_ Though he'd certainly never met a woman as infuriating as this one.

"Sage?" Ryo asked quietly.

Sage nodded. "Okay…relax, Volandra." He rested his hands lightly over the main point in the break, and closed his eyes, trying to summon as much of his power as he could without his armor. He could feel it straining through him, trying to reach out to the injury, but not being quite able to reach it. _K'so…focus, Sage! _

And then, without warning, he was suddenly filled with an incredible warmth. He felt his power swell, and surge out into Volandra's injuries without hesitation. It was just as when he'd healed Ryo's eyes, only tens time more powerful – this was the power of his armor, but complete and raw.

Was this…_Dilys?!_

Ryo was staring at the two of them, Sage and Dilys, his eyes wide with surprise. Sage had his hands resting on Volandra's wings, and Dilys was behind him, one arm wrapped around his shoulders and her head resting against his, her green hair mixing with his blonde. Both of them seemed completely lost in whatever it was they were doing, their eyes closed in identical expressions of concentration. But what was most startling, to Ryo, was the fact that they had started to glow – and the symbols of their shared virtue were bright on their foreheads. For a moment, it was hard to tell where one began and the other ended…

Was this the true power of the armor?

Sage opened his eyes, not at all sure how much time had just passed – all he knew was that, for a moment, the power continued to surge through him, and then it was gone as Dilys pulled back, sensing that the healing was complete through their shared link. "Done," Sage said, looking at Volandra. "How do you feel?"

Volandra hesitantly moved to sit up, wincing as if she were expecting pain – then widening her eyes when she didn't. She let go of Ryo, and stood up. "The pain…it's gone," she said, amazed. "They're completely healed…!"

Ryo looked at Sage and Dilys. "You healed the breaks completely?"

Sage glanced at Dilys, then looked away, nodding. "I guess the amplification was stronger than we expected," he mumbled, shifting slightly.

Volandra closed her eyes for a moment – then suddenly arched her back, unfurling her wings completely, practically filling the hallway with them. They glowed for a moment, then vanished into a cloud of falling feathers, which disintegrated in mid-air.

"There," she said, smiling at them. "Much better."

Ryo got to his feet, as did Sage and Dilys. "Are you two okay?" Ryo asked them. "You aren't feeling tired?"

Dilys shook her head. "No…" She rubbed her arm, the arm that she hadn't been using, then folded her arms over her chest. "We better go – the power is about to come on."

"How do you know?" Sage asked – when suddenly the lights shot on, flooding the corridor with light.

Dilys' eyes widened. "K'so! They got it quicker than I estimated…" She spun around, staring up in a corner. Sage, Volandra, and Ryo followed her gaze.

Straight to a security camera.

Startled voices could suddenly be heard from surrounding corridors, and it was clear that they were no longer out of sight. And from the voices closing in, it was equally clear that they were going to be surrounded in a matter of minutes.

"Come on!" Ryo growled, grabbing Volandra's arm. "RUN!"


	21. Inner Power

**Ronin Elementals**

**Prophecy of Power**

**Chapter Twenty-One: Inner Power**

Volandra and Dilys both hesitated, even as Sage turned to follow Ryo's orders. Both of the Elementals seemed to be frozen in place for a moment, looking at the Leviathans like a couple of deer caught in the headlights of a car.

"Damn it, I said run!" Ryo growled, his grip on Volandra's arm tight. He jerked her arm slightly, startling her out of her stupor. Eyes wide, she nodded and turned. Dilys snapped out of it at the same moment, bringing up the rear as the four of them sprinted down the lit corridor.

"Ten bucks says that they can see us on every security camera in this place," Sage said, turning a corner. He skidded to a stop, seeing a group of Leviathans on the other end. "Wrong way."

"This place is a maze…we'll never lose them at this rate," Dilys said. "I've got the schematics, but that doesn't help us if we don't know where the Leviathans are, or if they know where we are!"

They came to a T-junction, and paused. Behind them, they could hear the pounding footsteps of their pursuers, the shouts as they called to their comrades. "Why aren't they attacking?" Ryo asked.

"They can't use their powers in here – they could damage something," Volandra replied. "They'll wait until they're close enough to take us, hand-to-hand."

"These corridors are too tight for combat," Ryo said, sizing up the situation. "We'll split up – we can defend ourselves better. Sage, Dilys, you go right – Volandra and I will go left."

"Be careful," Sage said, putting his hand on Ryo's shoulder. Then he turned and ran right, Dilys right on his heels.

"I hope you know what you're doing," Volandra said as she followed Ryo down the right.

"We're going to force the Leviathans to split themselves up," Ryo answered. "Having some of an enemy after you is _always_ better than having all of them. At the same time, there's the chance that either we'll find a way out, or Sage and Dilys will."

"Your words make sense, but don't forget, some of the Leviathans are _still_ more than I'd like to handle, and you can't call your armor in here!" Volandra's grip tightened on his hand as she glanced over her shoulder. There was a trio of Leviathans less than ten feet behind them. "So I'm going to make our chances a little better."

"What…?" Ryo felt her hand leave his, and he turned, skidding to a stop as Volandra stopped and faced the Leviathans.

"Come on, girls," Volandra taunted, as the Leviathans closed in. "I think it's time I showed you just what being a Draconian means."

One of the Leviathans seemed to hesitate, her green eyes narrowed as she looked at Volandra. Then they widened.

"Get down!" she shouted, turning to look at her companions…

And Volandra opened her mouth, releasing a huge breath of fire that engulfed the three of them before they had a chance to move.

Charred corpses hit the ground, turning the ash upon impact. Ryo stared at Volandra in shock as she turned towards him, completely indifferent over the fact that she had just incinerated three of their enemies with a single breath. "How…?"

"What are you just standing there for?" she demanded. "Come on! There're be more soon enough!" She shoved past him, grabbing his hand again and hauling him down the hallway.

"How the hell did you do that?" Ryo demanded as they turned another corner and paused to get their bearings.

Volandra glanced up, noticing a lack of security cameras. "In here," she said suddenly, putting her weight against a door and pushing it open. She pulled Ryo into the dark room, sliding the door shut behind them. "I need a few minutes."

"For what?" Ryo asked.

"To recuperate," Volandra replied, kneeling down and taking several deep breaths. "Firebreath isn't the easiest thing in the world to do, and it takes a lot out of you. I haven't done that in awhile."

"They seemed to know what you were going to do," Ryo said, kneeling down in front of her and putting his hands on her shoulders.

Volandra's eyes darkened. "That's because I used the same attack to kill their Queen," she said quietly.

With a start, Ryo recalled the dream that he'd had, before they'd even heard about the Elementals. He had an image of Volandra standing in the doorway, talking in a low voice to the Leviathan Queen…and using the fire to incinerate her after getting the information she wanted. He remembered the chill he'd experienced when he'd woken up – he'd never witnessed just a cold-blooded attack before.

"What?" Volandra asked, looking at him. The look in his eyes unnerved her. "What are you think about…?"

"I saw it," Ryo said softly. "Before we met – one night, all of us, we had dreams. I think it was the night you all broke free from the Leviathans. But we all saw it…we all saw what you did."

"…they'd had us imprisoned against our will for centuries," Volandra said, her voice cold. "None of them were innocent. It wasn't like what we were doing earlier, searching for the seeds – these were full-blooded Leviathans, and each and every one of them looked at us like we were experiments. Vessels of power that they could attempt to harness for their own. They did things to us, Ryo…things that I can't even think about without getting sick to my stomach." Her eyes flashed as she looked at him. "We did what we had to do to escape."

Ryo looked at her, his expression unreadable, his blue eyes guarded. "You asked for information, and she gave you what you wanted," he said quietly. "And you still killed her. And even more…you _enjoyed _it, Volandra. I could feel your emotions. You enjoyed watching her die."

"And would you have done differently if it had been Talpa?!" Volandra demanded, disbelief in her eyes. Was he _judging _her?! "Queen Veda was the worst of them all, Ryo! Do you think we spent all of our time in those tubes, in that confinement? No!"

She clenched her fists, hot tears stinging her eyes. "She tortured us, Ryo, when she couldn't get the power she wanted from us. She enjoyed inflicting pain on us. She watched us scream, and she _laughed._ Yes, I enjoyed her death! I took great pleasure in watching her turn to ash, burn up and disappear in the midst of my flames! Wouldn't you?!"

Ryo tightened his grip on her shoulders. "I'm not judging you," he said, his voice low. "This is a war, Volandra – people do things they regret later during a war. They also do things they don't regret. What's done is done. It isn't what you did that makes me worry, it's what you felt while you did it. Even if she did deserve it…"

"The world isn't all black and white, Ryo," Volandra said bitterly. "She deserved it, and I enjoyed making her pay for what she did to me. To my friends. To my sister."

Ryo frowned slightly. He didn't miss the shakiness of Volandra's voice when she mentioned Trinity. "What did she do to Trinity?" he asked softly.

"I don't know for certain," Volandra whispered. "None of us were there – we only know what happened _after_. All I know is, they took Trinity from us. She was gone for several days. When they returned her, she was a wreck. She wouldn't let any of us near her. She'd hide in the corner, shaking and crying." A couple of tears fell from her eyes. "She didn't know us, Ryo. She looked at us, and she didn't know us. She was terrified of us.

"Chiara managed to place a spell on her, one that would suppress any memories of what had happened. She didn't know what they were, but somehow she was able to do it. Trinity forgot, and she was herself again. But everyday I fear that something is going to happen, that something will drive those memories back to the surface and she'll be forced to experience them all over that." She clenched her shifts. "_That's_ why I killed Veda. I couldn't let her live. She took away my sister's innocence. She took away her _trust_, Ryo. And for that, she had to die."

Ryo was quiet.

Volandra looked up at him when she did say anything, and she noticed a change in his expression. "You know it, too, don't you?" she asked softly. "If it had been Cye…if someone had taken away his trust, the foundation of who he is, you would have done the same." She reached up and touched his cheek. "And that scares you."

Ryo swallowed hard. "During…during the second war with Talpa," he said, "Sage, Cye, and Kento were all captured. They were tortured…Rowen and I were forced to hear their screams, to feel their pain. We were able to rescue them but…it left scars. They don't like to talk about it. We never bring it up." His jaw clenched. "But sometimes…they have nightmares. And every time I listen to their tears, or their cries, or hear them walking around because they're too afraid to go back to sleep, I think that it's a good thing Talpa is dead. Because if he weren't, I would've hunted him down."

"We're leaders, you and I, Ryo," Volandra said. "Our first and foremost duty is to protect our team. And when one them gets hurt…when there's nothing you can do…"

"You feel lost," Ryo finished, looking at her. "It's a heavy burden, isn't it?"

She nodded. "It is," she agreed. "But you know what? We aren't alone in it. We're leaders _together_, Ryo. Our teams…they've stopped being two separate teams. We're all in this together."

Ryo nodded. "Yeah," he said, his expression soft as he looked at her. "Together."

The two of them looked at each other silently for a moment, both of them feeling as if the bond between them had just been strengthened. Both of them with their own burdens, suddenly able to share them with the other. And there was a tension in the air, something that both of them could feel, as Ryo cupped her cheek, and Volandra tilted her face up towards him…

And there was a crash from outside the door, causing both of them to jerk towards it and tense.

"We need to get out of here," Volandra whispered. Ryo nodded, his hands still on her shoulders. The two of them looked at each other, then stood up and moved to the door.

Ryo looked at the hinges. "Think you can get this thing's hinges loose?" he asked.

"How am I supposed to…oh." She smirked, and rubbed her hands together. "Fortunately, metal is metal, ne?" She reached up and pressed her hands against the two hinges, one at the top and one at the bottom of the door. Closing her eyes, she focused. Her hands began to glow, and then the metal began to glow as it heated up, and slowly began to melt, weakening.

When she stepped back, Ryo moved in front of the door, and delivered a quick roundhouse kick that landed square in the middle of the structure. Its hinges snapped, the door shot forward…

…and stopped.

Volandra and Ryo blinked.

The door was tossed to the side, hitting the ground with a metallic _thud_. "Watch where you throw those things," Kala said, her hands on her hips as she looked at the two of them. "You could hurt someone."

Volandra's eyes widened. "Wha…?"

"Lonnie!" Trinity suddenly threw herself at Volandra, hugging her tightly. "You're okay!"

"Trinity!" Volandra gasped, hugging her back. "What…what are you doing here?!"

"Thank Janna and Chiara," Kento said, putting his hand on Ryo's shoulder. "The two of them managed to locate you, _and_ figure out a way inside. We got here, snuck in, and split up."

"Kento…Cye," Ryo said, grinning when he saw the Warrior of the Torrent standing behind Kento. None of them were in their armor. "Good to see you guys."

"Good to see you, too, Ryo, and in one piece," Cye agreed. "But we shouldn't stand around talking like this – we need to get out. Dais and the others are keeping the Leviathans distracted on the outside, but they can't keep it up for long."

"Where're Sage and Dilys?" Kala asked, looking around.

"We split up," Ryo replied. "Trying to lose the Leviathans…who are oddly not searching for us anymore, it seems."

"Dais, Kayura, Sekhmet, and Janna are driving them crazy outside," Trinity said. "Hopefully Rowen and Kia have found Dilys and Sage. Cye's right – we need to go."

"And for some reason, our armors disappeared the moment we got into this place," Kento said, shaking his head.

"Yeah – the same thing happened to us, when they captured us," Ryo replied, nodding. "I take it you know the way out?"

Kala nodded, turning and heading down the hallway. "This way," she said. "We took out the guards at one of the entrances during the power outage."

The six of them took off, following Kala's lead, all of them looking like they were ready to get out of there. Ryo, at least, had had enough of the Leviathans for one day.

They turned a corner, and stopped.

"I thought you said you took out the guards," Volandra hissed.

"We did," Kala said, her eyes fixed on the four Leviathans standing in their path. "Shit. I wasn't expecting them to come to so soon. They should have been out for at least another hour."

"Should've, should've, should've," Kento muttered. "These things haven't been doing _anything_ you girls have been saying they should." He punched the palm of his hand with his fist, his eyes gleaming with mischief. "Well. Kala, what say you and I take care of these four again?"

"Think you can handle it without your armor?" Kala asked, raising an eyebrow.

"We'll find out," Kento replied, lunging forward and bringing his fist around to the closest Leviathan.

_Whoa…!_ Kento's eyes went wide as one minute the Leviathan was in front of him, and then next, she was to the side, efficiently dodging his punch and bringing her own fist around. He spun and reached out, grabbing her fist with his hand and taking the impact, gritting his teeth as he did so. He could literally _hear_ the bones in his hand groaning in protest. The Leviathan's other arm moved just as fast, reaching for his wrist.

He twisted her arm around, throwing off her balance and whipping his leg around to hook hers, knocking her to the ground. Dropping, he slammed his elbow into her chest, right above her breastbone, throwing all of his weight into it.

The resounding _crack!_ was more than he expected, but he didn't have time to think when he felt a couple of hands on his back, yanking him backwards. He spun around, slamming his fist into the other Leviathan's face, forcing her to stumble backwards, directly into Kala's line of vision. The Hardrock Elemental was locked in combat with the other two, ducking and dodging their attacks. The one that Kento had just punched fell directly into Kala, and she ducked, causing both of her attackers to catch their companion with their kicks, knocking her out cold and giving Kala a moment to regroup.

"They're tougher than before," Kento said, taking several deep breaths as he moved to Kala, his back pressed against hers. "Ryo and the others go?"

"Yeah," Kala said, nodding, her braids whipping around her face. "Two down."

"Two to go," Kento said. "Let's finish this." The two Leviathans charged at them, silent and ready for attack. Fast. Too fast.

But Kento was calm. Suddenly it was as if there was someone else inside of him, someone who was perfectly confident that he could handle this. His eyes met his attacker's, and she seemed to slow down even as he moved. With calm, cool efficiency, he stepped forward, turned and got behind her, wrapped his arm around her neck and placed his hand on her chin…

…as Kala did exactly the same with hers, the same look in her eyes…

…and cleanly snapped the Leviathan's neck.

The limp bodies dropped to the floor in perfect sync, and Kento and Kala looked at each other. The feeling began to fade, and suddenly Kento's eyes widened as he realized what had just happened. He stared down at the form that lay crumpled at his feet.

"She's…"

"Dead," Kala said quietly. "And she would have killed you if you hadn't killed her." Their eyes met, and Kento wasn't fooled – she was as freaked out by what had just happened as he was.

"Did you feel it…?" he asked.

She nodded slowly. "Yeah," she said, taking a deep breath. She'd felt the calm, calculating presence rise up inside of her. It hadn't been the first time. It wouldn't be the last. "You too?"

"Me, too," Kento said.

Outside, through the exit, they could hear the sounds of a battle raging.

"Come on," Kala said, reaching out and taking his arm. "Let's hurry…the others need us."

Kento nodded, looking once more at the limp bodies lying on the ground, before turning his back and following Kala out.


	22. Rain

**Ronin Elementals**

**Prophecy of Power**

**Chapter Twenty-Two: Rain**

"I think we lost them," Sage said, glancing around the corner that he and Dilys had just turned. "Do you see anything that I'm missing?"

Dilys peered around him, the infrared sensors in her eyes scanning down the hallway. "Nothing," she said. "You're right. We lost them."

Sage turned, leaning up against the wall and resting against his, taking in several deep breaths. "I haven't run like that in a long time," he said.

"Neither have I," Dilys agreed, kneeling down to catch her own breath. Now that they weren't being pursued by manic psychoships, they could both take a quick breather. "I hope Volandra and Ryo are okay."

"We better find a way to catch up to them," Sage said. He reached into his pocket and removed his armor orb, staring at it. "Still nothing. Whatever is blocking our power is still doing it. Which means I can't track Ryo."

"Then we'll just have to do it the old-fashioned way," Dilys replied. She looked around, getting her bearings and comparing what she could see with the map that was running through her brain. "Come on." She grabbed his arm and pulled him after her.

"What are you doing?" Sage asked as she led him to a keypad next to a door.

"I believe the correct terms are 'breaking-and-entering'," Dilys replied. "When I logged into the spaceport's systems to locate you and Ryo, I got a schematic of the area. I could find my way blindfolded. And unless they completely refitted the place since I did that, behind this door should be a control station."

"A what?" Sage asked, watching as she pressed her hand against the keypad, and numbers began to scroll as she interfaced with it. Then, slowly, the correct entry code began to click in place.

"A control station," Dilys repeated. "Each docking port for each Leviathan contains a control station to monitor the husk's vitals while the brain is separated from it. There's a computer in each one. With any luck, we should have total privacy while I hack into the systems."

"And if someone detects you?" Sage asked.

"Trust me," Dilys replied. "They won't. They may be technologically superior to the average human, but they _aren't_ technologically superior to _me._ I've been hacking their systems for centuries without them knowing it."

Sage raised his eyebrows as the last number of the code clicked into place, and the door to the control room slid open. The two of them peered inside, then stepped in and let the door shut behind them.

A smile appeared on Dilys' face as she looked around the control room. There was a large monitor screen across one wall, with a console in front of it. The computer was currently doing just what Dilys said it was intended to – checking the vitals of the Starship that they could see through and observation window. Sage approached the window cautiously, peering out into the docking bay. It seemed deserted. "I guess everyone is trying to find us," he said.

"Most likely," Dilys said. "Nevertheless, there wouldn't be anyone there, anyway. The docking bays are entirely automaton. Repairs, enhancements, general refits – all are done by machine." Her eyes darkened as she sat down in the chair in front of the console. "Or slavery, depending on the location."

"Slavery?" Sage turned to look at her, just as a pair of wires slid out of her skin and attached themselves to the computer interface. "Yah!" he exclaimed, not expecting to see that.

"Oh, give me a break," Dilys said, rolling her eyes as she began to override the functions of the computer. "And yes, slavery. Before they really became reliant on machines, the Leviathans took slaves from the systems they conquered to run their spaceports. In locations where machines aren't really useful, slaves are still used."

"Okay, I'm confused," Sage admitted, walking over to her and leaning against the wall next to the monitor. He watched her as her hands began flying over the keypads, typing faster than he'd seen anyone type. And Mia could type _fast_. "You never told us the Leviathans took slaves. I thought they just implanted their seeds and turned other people into Leviathans."

"Only when they need to replenish their race quickly," Dilys replied, her eyes never leaving the screen as she began to hack into the system. "We hurt them badly when we took out the Queen's fleet. And even then, the race has to be compatible with the Leviathan programming. Not all are. And not all of a race who _is_ compatible will work. For instance, most of the time the Leviathans will acquire females to mutate, because they're inherently female. Occasionally there will be a compatible male who can accept a seed – which is why we thought you all might have been seeds. But the Leviathans don't want to turn ever male of a race into a seed, because that would defeat the purpose of slavery."

"Uh…" Sage blinked. "Why?"

Dilys snorted. "Come on. The Leviathans are a biological lifeform, even if they are living ships. Aside from implanting seeds into hosts, how else would they expand as a race? They aren't immortal. Even ships eventually die."

Sage looked blank. "I guess I never really thought about it, though it makes sense that they'd be able to breed just like any species…but didn't you say they're all inherently female?"

"Yup," Dilys replied. "Every Leviathan is female. Well, every Leviathan in the fleet. If a baby Leviathan is born male, they're stripped of their corresponding ship and raised into slavery until they're old enough to breed."

The warrior of Halo stared at her. "That's sick!" he said, jaw dropping. "They…force their own children…just because they're male?"

"Male Leviathans are, for some reason, inherently weaker than females," Dilys replied. "So yes. They pretty much raise the boys to believe that all they're good for is breeding."

"That's bound to 'cause some problems with inbreeding, though…"

Dilys paused, looking at him. "Well, duh. Have you been listening to anything I've been saying? All Leviathan slaves are either females who are forced to work, or males who are forced to _breed_."

And it clicked. "You mean…" Sage paled.

"Yup," Dilys said, turning back to the monitor. "You and Ryo are lucky those bitches didn't decide to donate your DNA to the Empire's cause. I hear they're not exactly nice to their donors."

"Oh, that's just…" Sage shuddered. "I don't even want to think about it. So, aside from wanting to kill you girls, they're here to turn humans into slaves? They want to _breed_ with us?"

"You got it," Dilys replied. "Apparently humans are pretty damn compatible with Leviathans. Lucky you, huh? Glad I'm not a man."

Sage peered at her from behind his bangs. "Are you always…" He didn't get much further when Dilys suddenly let out a yelp, her eyes lighting up and a smile appearing on her face as the screen split into several smaller sections, each with an image in the middle.

"What, what?" Sage asked, moving away from the wall to stand behind her.

"I just hacked into the security system of the space port," Dilys said, grinning happily. "I have full access to each and every one of their security cameras."

"Can you shut them down so that they can't see us?" Sage asked, resting his hands on the back of her chair and leaning forward slightly to meet her eyes.

"Hell yeah," Dilys said. "But not yet." Her green eyes shone with excitement. "Take a close look at what those screens are showing you."

Sage looked up. There had to have been a hundred cameras – each image was small enough that unless you enlarged it, you'd have to squint to get any detail. He'd only glanced on them earlier, but now he took a closer look.

His jaw dropped. "It's the others!" he said as he realized that the screen he was currently staring at was one of Dais immobilizing half a dozen Leviathans at once outside of the spaceport. "They found us!"

"Damn straight they did," Dilys said, her fingers flying. "It looks like Dais, Kayura, Sekhmet and Janna are all outside…" Her eyes scanned the other screens, taking in the data. "Look – Ryo and Volandra caught up to them, with Cye and Trinity. And Kento and Kala just showed up. They're all out!" She turned in her chair and grinned at him. "Guess we don't have to worry about them."

"So you _were_ worried," Sage said, raising an eyebrow at her and smiling. "I wasn't sure for awhile there. I've never seen you this happy."

A light flush tinted Dilys' cheeks, and she spun her chair back around, immediately looking back at the screen. "Yeah…well, don't get used to it," she said. "Now let's see…if I can determine the quickest route out of here, I can disable all of those cameras so that they won't be able to track us."

"Wouldn't that tell them which route it is?" Sage asked. "It'd be better to disable every camera to throw them off, wouldn't it."

Dilys was already setting to work disabling the cameras. "It will – which would matter if we were taking that route."

"We aren't?"

"Nope. We'll throw them off of track by taking the most roundabout route that will get us to the exit closest to the others," Dilys said. Several of the screens suddenly went blank. "There."

"Okay…let's go," Sage said, taking a quick glance around the room. He was getting nervous from staying in one place for so long.

Dilys started to exit from the system, then hesitated slightly. "Just a minute," she murmured, more to herself than to Sage. She backed out of the security database, and began to worm her way through another database she'd noticed earlier but hadn't thought to explore. The personnel database for the spaceport.

"What are you doing?" Sage asked.

"There should be a listing for the entire fleet in here – it should give us a good idea of how many Leviathans this fleet is…" Dilys' voice trailed off as the text began to scroll at a rapid-fire pace. Sage tried to follow along with her, but it was going way too fast for him to keep track.

Then it stopped.

"Oh, hell," Dilys whispered, her green eyes going wide.

"What?" Sage asked, leaning forward. "What is it?"

"There," Dilys said, pointing at a single line on the screen. "That's her. That's the leader. It has to be."

Sage frowned and narrowed his eyes, looking at the name. "Rain," he said. He looked at her. "I take it that means something to you."

"_Princess_ Rain," Dilys said, clenching her jaw. "Queen Veda's younger sister. If it's possible, she's even _more _ruthless than her sister. I should've guessed that she'd be heading up the replacement fleet for Veda."

"So…what, is this some sort of revenge thing for her?" Sage asked, looking at Dilys.

"Most definitely not," Dilys answered. "Veda and Rain _hated_ each other. If anything, Rain is power-tripping because she's suddenly got Veda's position – the highest position in the entire Leviathan hierarchy." She pulled out of the system, shutting it down and returning it to the vitals screen that they'd started with. Dilys stood up and looked at Sage. "We've got to get to others. Rain is bad news all around – they need to know she's the one running this show."

"You've met her, I take it?" Sage asked.

"Despite the fact that they were at each others' throats, there was one job that Veda trusted Rain with unconditionally." She bit her lip, her expression looking slightly distant. "Rain was our torturer."

"Torture is such a harsh word," a soft voice said from behind them. "I prefer to use, _persuasion._ That sounds much nicer. Wouldn't you agree, Dilys Velvet?"

Dilys tensed, her eyes going wide and meeting Sage's. Sage was surprised to see a certain amount of fear in her green eyes, and judging from her reaction, it wasn't difficult to figure out who had caught them.

"Turn around."

The two of them did, turning to face the door, which they'd thought had been locked. Apparently they'd been wrong. The door was now open, and a tall woman with long, bluish-white hair and pale skin, dressed in a tight blue jumpsuit made of some strange material that shimmered when she moved, was standing in the doorway with a gun pointed at them.

"If being super-strong and having elemental powers weren't bad enough, they have guns, too?" Sage whispered.

"Shut up," Dilys hissed. "We're in big trouble here, in case you haven't noticed. That's _her_."

"You could at least refer to me by my name, Dilys Velvet," the Leviathan said, tossing her hair over her shoulder. She smiled coyly at Sage. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Monarch-Supreme Rain d'Veda d'Andra d'Valunia. And you are…?"

"Sage Date," Sage replied, keeping his tone of voice calm and controlled. "I can't say it's a pleasure, though."

"Oh, I see," Rain said, smirking at Dilys. Dilys shrank back slightly, avoiding Rain's gaze by looking away. "So she's told you about me, and naturally, you take her side. Such a shame."

"Why is that?" Sage asked cautiously, taking a step closer to Dilys. He didn't take his eyes off of Rain, though when he glanced at Dilys out of the corner of his eye, he realized that she was shaking slightly.

What was it that Rain had done to her in the past?

"Because your DNA would've made such a fine addition to our cause," Rain said, stepping into the room, the gun still pointing steadily at them. "It still could. Give us the girl, and I won't have to hurt you."

"So…I give you Dilys, you use me for breeding instead of killing me?" he asked.

"Precisely," Rain purred. "I'll give you a moment to think about that. It wouldn't be a horrible life. You'd be well-treated."

_You'd love that, wouldn't you?_ _If I actually believed you, _Sage thought, glanced over again, through the glass window that led out into the Starship dock. A flash of blue caught his eye across the dock, on what had been an abandoned catwalk.

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to decline your offer," Sage said, sliding an arm around Dilys' waist and drawing her to him. Then he smirked, in a very un-Sage-like way. "In fact…I'd rather fuck a slug, you oversexed bitch." Dilys' jaw dropped, staring up at him in surprise.

Rain's face flushed in outrage. "How dare you!" she shouted, leveling the gun at him.

"DOWN!" Sage shouted, lunging to the side and pulling Dilys down with him, twisting them so that he landed on top of her as the glass window shattered, glass shards flying everywhere.

"What…?" Dilys whispered.

Sage raised his head a moment later, when there was no gunshot, or any other sound after the glass falling. He looked around, and saw that Rain was gone. There was no sign of her. "She's gone," he said, slowly getting up and pulling Dilys up with him.

"What the hell just happened?" she asked, her voice shaky.

"Some very nice timing," Sage replied. He tapped her shoulder, and motioned her direction to the thing that had broken the window. The golden arrow embedded in the wall directly behind where Rain had been standing.

"I never want to cut it that close again," Rowen's voice said from behind them. The two of them turned to see him land on the windowsill of the broken window. Kia was clinging to his arm, and looked very relieved to be on solid ground as she dropped down into the room.

"How the hell are you wearing armor?" Dilys asked incredulously as Rowen stepped through the window into the room – and his armor vanished. He looked down, blinking.

Sage snapped his fingers. "It's open air out there, isn't it? The Starhsip isn't enclosed. But the minute you step into the building, the armor goes away."

Kia nodded. "Yeah – there's a wall missing where the Starship docks in." She grinned, showing fang. "In fact – that's our way out. Hope you two aren't too shaken by almost being shot – we gotta go. The others need our help."

"Especially if Rain is on the loose," Dilys whispered.

Kia looked at her, and nodded.

"Come on," Rowen said, turning back to the window. "We're outta time."


	23. Bonds Strengthened

**Ronin Elementals**

**Prophecy of Power**

**Chapter Twenty-Three: Bonds Strengthened**

Chiara didn't know what time it was when she finally opened her eyes, but she knew that she had to have been out cold for awhile. It had been daylight when they'd done the ritual, and now she instinctively knew that the moon had risen – she could feel her powers reacting to it even as she roused herself from the sleep and tried to process her surroundings. It was dark – the candles had been put out, and no one had bothered to turn on the lights, probably because it had been daylight when she'd collapsed. She had to still be in Kale's room…she could make out the forms of the furniture still pushed aside, and the heavy drapery on the windows that kept as much light out as possible.

And now that she was fully awake, she could also make out the muscular arm wrapped around her waist, and feel someone pressed up against her from behind.

Shifting slightly, she managed to roll over so that she could see her bedmate, relaxing when she realized it was Kale, sound asleep beside her. He had one arm draped over her waist, and the other was pillowing his head. His hair draped over his face as he slept, barely moving except for the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed.

_He looks like a child when he's asleep_, Chiara thought, smiling fondly. She reached out and gently ran her fingers through his hair, brushing back his bangs and letting her fingers drift slightly over his skin.

A tingle, not unlike a shock of static, shot through her arm, and she pulled back, startled. She hadn't been expecting that. Not that she knew what it was. She'd never experienced anything like that before. She bit her lip, watching him and wondering if he'd felt it too. As he didn't appear to have woken up, it didn't look like it.

Hesitantly she reached out and touched his cheek again, resting her palm fully against it. Again came the tingling sensation, but she didn't sever contact this time, and the sensation turned from a shock into something more fluid. It flowed from him into her, and she closed her eyes, reveling in the feeling. It reminded her of the power rush she got from casting a spell.

She opened her eyes, not realizing that she'd actually closed them, and found herself meeting Kale's eyes now. Her eyes widened slightly. "When…when did you wake up?" she whispered.

"Somewhere between you touching my face and me feeling an incredibly surge of power," Kale replied, his voice quiet and low as he looked at her. "What is that?"

"You feel it too?" Chiara breathed, feeling a little heady from the rush of power. "This hasn't happened before."

"It did during the ritual," Kale replied. "When we combined our powers. I…I don't remember much of what happened during the ritual, but I do recall that much."

"Oh…um…why are we in bed together?" she asked shyly. "And your arm…"

"I fell asleep in the chair, but I woke up a few hours ago and you seemed to be having some sort of nightmare. When I tried to wake you up, you kind of latched onto me and I…um…couldn't get away," Kale said, and she almost swore he was blushing, though she couldn't make that much out in the darkness, no matter how good her night vision was. "And the arm…I swear, I didn't do that. It must have happened when I was asleep, and…ano…" He trailed off, realizing that he hadn't removed his arm from her waist. "Um…sorry…"

"It's okay," Chiara said. "I…don't mind." Even if he wasn't blushing, she certainly was. "How long have I been out?"

"I'm not sure," Kale replied. "The others left to go rescue Ryo, Sage, Dilys, and Volandra – Mia and Micaela are here, Yuli and White Blaze, too. I don't know if they're back yet."

"Oh, I see," Chiara replied. "It's already night…I suppose we should go see what's going on…"

"Micaela told me something interesting," Kale said suddenly. "After you collapsed."

"Eh?" Chiara blinked at him.

He nodded. "She said that when the ritual went off, it wasn't just your power – it was mine, too."

"Your…power…?"

"Micaela seems to think I'm a Druid, or that I at least have Druid blood," Kale said.

Chiara looked at him, and reached out with her hand, pressing it against his cheek again. The power rushed back between them, and this time she focused on it, identifying the type of power. "She's right," she whispered. "It's the same kind of power I have. But that doesn't explain why we can share it…unless it's the armor connection that's making that happen."

"Who knows?" Kale asked, pulling her closer. She could feel the heat of his hand through the thin shift that she was still wearing. "I like it."

"So do I," Chiara whispered, leaning in and sliding her arms around his neck, the power acting like a magnet between the two of them as their mouths met. Chiara slid her fingers into his hair, parting her lips and feeling the power slide through them, moving from one to the other and surrounding them completely until she couldn't tell which was her power, and which was his.

Kale pulled back, holding his breath slightly as he looked at her. Then he let out the breath, and she could literally see it in the air, frosted and as cold as winter on her face. The temperature level in the room had dropped, but neither of them had noticed, and neither of them cared. "What is this?" Kale whispered, sliding his hands up her back. "It's been how long since we met? A week? Two?"

"Does it matter?" Chiara asked. "It feels right…doesn't it?"

"Aren't you scared?" Kale murmured, rolling her onto her back and laying over her, his body pressed against hers. "At how right it feels?"

"Terrified," Chiara breathed, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Don't stop, Kale. Please don't stop."

Kale's virtue shone in the darkness, and he drew the blanket over them as he obeyed her commands.

* * *

Mia stood in the middle of the clearing, hugging her cardigan around her as she looked around. There had been no word from the rescue team, nothing at all since they'd headed for the spaceport several hours earlier. Kale and Chiara were still asleep the last time she'd checked on them, and Micaela and White Blaze had taken Yuli somewhere to keep him occupied so that he wouldn't worry too much about the others.

That left Mia with nothing to do. She'd gone through all the files her grandfather had left on the Elementals, and some of them made more sense now than they had before, and others still seemed like nonsensical gibberish. There were vague mentions of the prophecy that they knew nothing about, but not enough to put together anything concrete, and next to nothing on the subject that really had Mia's curiosity piqued at this point – the two time-shifted Elementals, Milanthra of the Spring and Raven of the Autumn. All they had were the names of their species, their powers, and…not much else. There wasn't even a decent description on what they looked like, and the girls hadn't been much help on that – too much time had gone by for them to really recall the missing two.

Annoyed and frustrated by this lack of information, Mia had decided she needed to go for a walk, and now she found herself looking at the Ancient Staff, standing in the middle of the clearing as it had been when she'd left it here.

_You came back._

Mia's eyes widened slightly as the Staff began to glow, and then the glow took the shape of a man in front of Staff. Anubis looked at her, smiling gently as he stood there in his monk's robes. Mia clutched the front of her cardigan, looking at him. "It wasn't a dream?" she asked.

Anubis chuckled, shaking his head. _No…I'm really here, Mia. Or as here as I can possibly be._ _And I'm glad you returned. There was something important that I needed to tell you. _

Mia looked weary, moving to sit down on a rock near the Staff. "Everyone has something important to tell me," she said, sighing.

Anubis looked at her, concerned. _Is something wrong?_

"Everything's fine as long as you don't count Ryo, Sage, Volandra, and Dilys being kidnapped, and everyone else going to rescue them but not being back yet." She hit her leg with her fist in frustration. "I feel even more useless now that during the war with Talpa! At least then I had some purpose – I was the one everyone looked to for explanations when the armors did something new. And even though half the time I was being kidnapped by you or one of the other Warlords, hey, at least I had a part in everything. But here…I'm just on the sidelines. My computer isn't going to magically spit out the information we need, and everything is going crazy. We're no closer to stopping the Leviathans, and the Leviathans _are_ closer to taking this planet. In fact, they might already have – we're trapped inside this damn protection field Micaela set up with the staves, and there's nothing we can do. Who knows what's happened to the people of Toyama, or anywhere else…there's no communications…" Tears welled up in her eyes, and she wiped at them furiously.

_I'm sorry…_ Anubis said softly, and he truly did sound apologetic. _I had no idea the situation was so bad. If only…_

Mia bit her lip, and looked at him. "No…_I'm_ sorry," she said. "All I'm doing is complaining to you, when there's nothing you can do…"

_It's all right, Mia,_ Anubis replied. _I'd rather know what's going on, then not. And there are some things I can do. _

Mia looked at him, confused. "What do you mean?"

He moved so that he was standing in front of her, and at this close distance he didn't seem to be as transparent as he was further away. And at this distance, she couldn't miss the expression of worry in his eyes. _I have some information that might help you, _he said. _It's something the Ancient One discovered – I was going to tell you the first time we spoke, but you and Kayura left too quickly. _

"You have some information that might help?" Mia asked, looking eager. "Please, Anubis – tell me! Quickly!"

Anubis hesitated slightly, glancing around as if he were afraid that someone would show up and interrupt them before he had a chance to explain. _You know that the last two Elementals were lost in time, correct? _

"That's practically all we know about them," Mia replied. "Even Volandra and the others can't remember anything, not even what they looked like."

_I can tell you where they ended up after they emerged from the time shift_, Anubis said. _What's more, I've determined that they're currently in _this_ time, and very close by._

Mia's eyes widened. "You have?!" she yelped, jumping to her feet. "Anubis, that's great! I could kiss you!"

Both of them immediately turned bright red. "Um…I mean…" She ducked her head in embarrassment.

_I know what you meant_, Anubis said, staring off at some point over her head. _At any rate, I'm not exactly corporeal, am I? _

"Anubis…" Mia's voice trailed off, and she looked down at the ground, her cheeks red as they stood there in awkward embarrassment.

Finally Anubis broke the silence. _Anyway…as I was saying, the Elementals were time shifted to two different times – one a couple of hundred years ago, the other only about thirteen – but since both of them are immortal, like the other Elementals, the first one is probably…_

Then he realized that Mia wasn't paying attention to him. In fact, she seemed to have completely zoned out on him, her expression blank, her face slack as she just stared off into space.

_Mia?_

Anubis shivered slightly, and he blinked, turning to look at the Ancient's Staff. A thin sheen of ice was covering the gold surface, and as he watched, the clearing was becoming covered in the same sheen. In fact, it seemed as if the entire area around them was gradually turning into winter – in a matter of minutes. _What in the world…?_ he wondered, his expression one of caution and confusion as he looked around. His eyes fell on the mansion in the distance, and his jaw dropped.

The entire building was covered in thick ice, looking like something out of a Christmas photograph. The windows were foggy, icicles hung from the roof, the surface was absolutely smooth as the setting sun reflected off of it, and did absolutely nothing to melt it.

It was summer. Why was there ice?

Anubis heard a soft whimper from next to him, and he turned, looking at Mia. She'd gone from staring off into space to kneeling on the ground, her hand over her mouth and her eyes squeezed shut. She whimpered again, a tear sliding out from the corner of her eye. "No," she whispered, shaking her head. "No, please…"

_Mia?_ Anubis looked at her helplessly, confused and at a loss as to what to do. He reached out to touch her, then stopped, pulling his hand back. All he'd succeed in doing was putting it through her shoulder, and that wouldn't serve any purpose except to remind himself that he was useless.

Mia opened her eyes, looking up at Anubis fearfully. "A-anubis…" she said, her voice shaking. "Something…something's wrong…I-I can't…"

Something was shining underneath her bangs, on her forehead, though Anubis couldn't make out what it was. He began to get the feeling that something important was happening, but he didn't have the faintest idea what it was.

A cold breeze blew by, and Mia's hair flew back from her face. Anubis' eyes widened in shock as he stared at the kanji symbol on her forehead, burning yellow on her skin. Their eyes locked, and the same symbol began to shine on his, and suddenly it felt hot – so very, very hot…

A yellow glow enveloped the two of them, and everything went dark.

* * *

_Thirteen years ago…_

Hiro Koji sat in the middle of a clearing only a few miles away from the home that had belonged to his family since the Meiji era. He often came here when he needed time to think, and this was certainly one of those times.

Hiro was an occult historian. He specialized in unlocking the mysteries of the supernatural, especially those pertaining to Japanese myths and legends. Recently he'd been going over some files that he'd collected from a trip concerning a legend about mythical armors that were said to embody the elements. It was a fascinating subject, one that few had looked into, and Hiro was looking forward to what he could discover – perhaps he'd even locate the armors themselves! Wouldn't that be something?

It was farfetched, though, even Hiro realized this. Even most of his colleagues at the university doubted that the Ronin armors existed – so much of the fact behind the legends had been lost, including the precise number of the armors. Some accounts mentioned five, others mentioned nine, but there was no written reason for the inconsistency of four. Even Hiro wasn't sure which accounts to accept, though he was certain that there were at least five. So much of the material pointed to five.

That morning, he'd stumbled across an ancient poem mixed in with his research, that he was certain pertained to the armors in some way. But despite pondering over it all day, he was still at a loss for the meaning.

And that was why he was now sitting in the middle of a clearing, staring up at the sky at nothing.

No.

Not nothing.

Hiro put his hand over his eyes to block out some of the sun. There was something in the sky, a yellow light that seemed to be getting closer and closer, larger and larger. With a cry, Hiro stumbled back as a column of light hit the ground in front of him, shielding his eyes from the light.

_Please…take care of her_, a voice said, echoing around him. _I beg of you, keep her safe. Make her part of your time. She is the key to Spring. _

"Who…?" Hiro felt the light fade, and the voice with it. He opened his eyes and stared at the ground in front of him.

A little girl, looking about eight years old and dressed in a yellow kimono, lay on the ground, her eyes closed in sleep. She was curled up into a small ball right where the light had landed, her long auburn hair hanging over her body like a blanket.

Hiro looked down at the girl, approaching her cautiously and kneeling down next to her. "Who are you?" he asked softly, reaching out and touching her hair.

There was a symbol on her forehead, glowing slightly, the same color as the light had brought her. He recognized the kanji – it was Chu, meaning Loyalty.

Chu was one of the kanji symbols often referred to in the few texts that discussed nine armors.

When he touched her, the symbol disappeared, and her eyes opened. Yawning, she sat up, rubbing at her eyes. Blinking, she looked at Hiro uncomprehendingly. "Who are you?" she asked. Then she looked around. "Where am I?" She looked around her, her hair flying around her, the sunlight shining off of it, resembling fire. She met Hiro's eyes again, trembling. "Who…who am I?" There was fear in her eyes, fear of not knowing, of not remembering.

_Make her part of your time_.

Hiro looked at her, hearing the unfamiliar voice in his mind again, a mere echo of its words earlier.

The little girl looked up at him, trembling.

"My name is Hiro Koji," Hiro said softly. "I'm your grandfather – and this is our home."

The girl looked at him, and seemed to immediately accept his words. "What's my name?" she asked, cocking her head slightly.

Hiro smiled gently. "Your name is Mia."

* * *

Anubis sat up, gasping for breath. He stared straight ahead for a moment, shaking his head and trying to clear it. He didn't know how long he'd been out, only that he'd had a really odd dream when he had been.

_That girl…she was Mia_, Anubis realized, recalling the details of the little girl's face. He rested his hand against his forehead, shaking his head slightly.

And his eyes fell on Mia's prone form.

"Mia!" he exclaimed, jumping to his feet and running to Mia's side. "Mia, are you okay?" He reached out and put his hand on her shoulder, shaking her gently.

Then he froze, staring at his hand. His hand, which was on her shoulder. Which was not going through her. Which was not transparent. He held his breath, raising his hand, as if he expected himself to suddenly be see-through again.

And he realized that he was holding his breath, which meant he was breathing. And his heart was beating. Which meant…

He was alive.

"What's going on?" Mia's groggy voice asked, and he looked down at her as she pulled herself into a sitting position. She looked around. "Where am I?" She looked up at him in confusion. "Who are you?"

Anubis drew in a breath, his eyes staring at her forehead.

"And…who am I?"

The kanji Chu shone on her forehead, bright and pulsing.

There was only one thing Anubis could think of to say. "Milanthra," he whispered.


	24. Reunion

**Ronin Elementals: **

**Prophecy of Power**

**Chapter Twenty-Four: Reunion**

They didn't get back to the mansion until near four in the morning.

After escaping from the Leviathan spaceport, the two groups had met up and decided that lying low would be the best possibility, until they were able to slip back through the barrier without getting caught again. None of them wanted to risk the possibility of having to go back to the spaceport.

"We've still got about two hours until sunrise," Rowen said softly as he led the way through the woods, glancing around for any sign of Leviathan scouts.

"The Leviathans will be busy attempting to put some order back into the chaos that we rendered," Micaela replied from beside him, brushing her hair back from her eyes as she looked around. She looked up at the tree she was standing beside. "How is it, Volandra?"

"Clear," the Draconian replied from her perch on a tree branch high above them. There was the rustling of leaves, and then she was crouching in front of them, absorbing the impact from her leap and standing easily. "It's a straight shot to the mansion from here."

"Good," Ryo said, coming up to join them. "Mia must be worried sick about us by now."

Rowen nodded, then looked beyond Ryo as the others came into view. He raised his arm and waved to them, giving them the all-clear but not making a sound. Just in case.

Micaela had already resumed walking, falling into step beside Volandra and pushing her way through the brush. She was thankful, not for the first time, that the traditional robes of her sect had become ceremonial for use rather than mandatory. She could only imagine how much trouble she'd be having walking through this mess of bushes and trees if she'd had yards of cloth around her to deal with, instead of a pair of jeans and a blouse. As it was, her blouse was ruined – she'd snagged it on a thorny bush and torn a hole in the side that would have been embarrassing if she hadn't been running for her life at the time. And now, she was just too worn and tired to care about being modest. As she imagined everyone else was – it accounted for their silence, at least, as they made their way through the woods.

Volandra reached out and pushed back a branch to move further ahead, then held it for Micaela so that it would smack her in the face. The Oracle ducked slightly, being a few inches taller than the Draconian, and when she straightened up, she stopped dead in her tracks.

The mansion was straight ahead – they'd come out of the woods on the near side of the lake, right where Rowen had said they would when he'd chosen that particular path for them to get to the mansion. But any relief Micaela might have felt at seeing their goal vanished when she realized that things had not been peaceful in the time that they had been gone.

"Oh, my lord," Volandra breathed from behind Micaela, and the Oracle knew she had seen the same thing. It was not her imagination.

The entire mansion was covered in ice. Ice at least three inches thick spread over the walls, windows, and doors. Icicles hung from the roof and the railings of the wraparound porch and balconies. The windows were frosted, making it impossible to see through to the interior. And the ice hadn't stopped with just the building – the entire lawn was covered in frost, and the lake had frozen over. In fact, everything within the barrier created by the staves had been affected by this strange anomaly.

"What…what _is_ this?" Sage asked, sounding shocked as he stepped out of the woods, stopping in his tracks.

A soft, distressed cry came from behind them, and Micaela turned just in time to see Janna dash forward, breaking out of the line that had formed and running towards the mansion. The Seer tripped, skidded on the frost, but recovered herself, her eyes wide with panic.

"Janna, wait!" Micaela cried, hurrying after the distressed girl.

Janna didn't slow, staggering up the stairs of the porch, somehow managing not to slip as she ran up to the door. She pounded her fist against it, her hand quickly going numb from the coldness of the ice. "Chiara! Chiara!" She pounded her fist hard, and Micaela's eyes widened as blood began to smear on the ice.

"Janna, stop!" she cried, trying to follow her up the stairs, but slipping. Someone moved past her, but she didn't see who it was as she tried to stop herself from falling off the stairs. Volandra ran up, helping to steady her and help her stand.

Micaela immediately looked to Janna, and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that the person who had passed her had been Sekhmet. The warlord had grabbed Janna and pulled her away from the door, forcing her arms to her side so that she wouldn't injure herself further. Janna was struggling, but she couldn't break Sekhmet's grip – he had at least a foot in height and several pounds on her, and years of training had made him that much stronger. After a few moments, Janna's struggles ceased, and she went limp in Sekhmet's arms. A soft sob escaped her throat.

"Stop that," Micaela commanded sharply, as Volandra helped her up the stairs to the porch. She looked at the others. "Stay down there!" she ordered. "There doesn't seem to be any danger, but we shouldn't take any unnecessary risks ."

"What the hell is going on here?" Kento demanded angrily, clenching his fists. "Everything's covered in ice!"

"Unnecessary risks?" Janna hissed at the same time, her reptilian eyes flashing with anger as she raised her head to look at Micaela. "Chiara is in there! She could be hurt…or worse…"

"Not to mention Kale," Dais added, taking a few steps back and peering up at the second floor of the mansion, as if hoping to catch some glimpse of someone inside.

"I know that," Micaela said tensely. She shrugged off Volandra's hand and moved forward – carefully, as the porch was still slick – to the door. She pressed her hand against the ice and closed her eyes.

Almost instantly, she could see inside the mansion. The ice hadn't restricted itself just to the exterior – the interior was equally covered. The walls, floors, furniture, everything appeared to be frozen. There didn't seem to be any sign of life at all. Micaela pushed forward, moving through the rooms, seeing the same effect over and over again on the first floor. Then she went upstairs.

Upstairs it continued to be more of the same. She pushed through each room, glancing in only long enough to see that they were empty, except for one that contained the boy Yuli and White Blaze, both of whom appeared to be sleeping and unaffected by the ice. That was good. It meant no one had frozen to death. She saved the room that the Warlord and Elemental of Winter had been left in for last. When at last she determined that if they were still in the mansion, they had to be there, she pushed forward with her Sight.

And was instantly pushed back out.

With a cry, Micaela stumbled back, clutching her head in pain. Volandra caught her before she could go flying off the porch, steadying her and nearly ending up on her back in the process. "Micaela?" she asked, alarmed. "What is it?"

"They are in there," Micaela said through gritted teeth. She closed her eyes and willed the pain away before opening them again. "And they have somehow constructed a barrier strong enough to keep my Sight from seeing the room that they are in. The spell most certainly has Chiara's signature on it, though I could not see much more than that before I was pushed out."

"Chiara's that powerful?" Kayura asked, frowning slightly. "I was under the impression that when it came to power, Oracles out-ranked Druids. Or is that just a rumor?"

A rueful smile appeared on Micaela's face as she turned to the other girl. "No, you are right, Kayura," she said. "An Oracle's power is stronger than a Druid's. But when two powerful Druids bind together to cast the same spell, there is little that can penetrate it."

"Two…?" Janna stared at her.

Micaela nodded. "There was another signature to that spell, not one I recognized. But I can easily deduce what has happened here, even without my Sight." She gestured around them, at the frozen wasteland that had once been their front yard. "Kale has come into his power – he has achieved the amount of power of a High-Class Druid, if not the rank and title. I suspected he had the potential, but not that it would be drawn out in this way."

Sekhmet stared at her. "Kale is a…"

"A Druid," Micaela repeated. "The barrier spell on the room was most likely not intentional, but I doubt either of them is in the right mindset to even notice that it is there. They most likely merely wished not to be interrupted, and the spell formed automatically as a result of their wish."

"But that doesn't account for…" Rowen found himself cut off as Micaela spoke again.

"As for the ice and snow – I do not believe that this is a sinister attack from our enemies, but rather a sign that our side has grown stronger." As she spoke, Micaela became more certain that she was correct. She could also sense her Sight recovering – the barrier spell inside the mansion was beginning to fade. "What you are seeing here is something that the Ancient One warned my ancestor about, but was unable to confirm the actual side effects of. This is armor completion – the joining of an armor bearer and an armor elemental, in mind, spirit, and body. And as the result here is obviously ice and snow, well, then the armor completion must belong to Winter."

Silence was her only response, and she couldn't hide a smile at the shock, confusion, and – in the case of Rowen and Kia – realization on the faces of the group in front of her.

"You're saying…Kale and Chiara did this?" Cye asked, looking around with wide eyes. "Mind, spirit, and body…what do you mean by that…?"

Rowen looked at him. "Think about it for a minute, Cye," he said. "Just think about it."

The Ronin of Torrent frowned, obviously doing so. Then his eyes widened slightly. "Oh. _Oh._"

"Is it permanent?" Janna asked sharply, focusing on Micaela.

Micaela shook her head, and pointed to the ground. Already, the ice was beginning to thaw. And quite rapidly. "No – the effects are not permanent," she said. "The connection between armor and element – according to the Ancient One, it should be. But it has never happened before, so who can really say? We will have to ask them ourselves."

"Then let's get in there and find out exactly what's going on," Dais said, moving forward when he saw the door thawing out. "I'd like to know just what Kale thought he was doing, at a time like this—"

The door swung open, and a very irritated Kale stood in the doorway, looking like he'd just woken up. "We can hear you all from inside," he growled. "Either come inside and stop shouting, or stay out here and keep it down."

"Excuse me?" Dais pushed past Micaela and Volandra, and stood face-to-face with Kale. "Do you even know what's happened? We got back, and everything is covered in fucking ice. _Ice_. Including this mansion. And then Micaela can't even _find_ you – where's Chiara?"

"Upstairs," Kale replied. "I woke up and heard voices – and what the hell do you mean, ice?"

"You do not know?" Micaela motioned for him to step out of the mansion, and he did so. His eyes widened when he took in the quickly thawing landscape. "That," the Oracle continued, "would be the result of completing the Winter armor."

"Completing…what?" All the irritation left Kale's face, and only confusion remained. "I don't know what you're talking about…we didn't do anything except…" His eyes widened further, and he flushed.

"Let's talk about this inside," Ryo said. "Micaela, you're going to have to explain this armor completion in more detail for the rest of us, because it doesn't sound like anyone's heard of it before. So let's get Chiara, and Mia…" He stopped. "Where is Mia, anyway?"

Kale frowned, brushing his hair back from his face. "I haven't seen her," he replied.

"She is not in the mansion," Micaela said. "She must have left before the completion…one moment." She closed her eyes and began expanding her Sight again.

Then she opened them, and the look on her face didn't put anyone at ease. "I…I cannot find her. At all."

"What!" Sage demanded. "What do you mean, you can't find her!"

"She is not within the barrier," Micaela replied. "Beyond that, I do not know…"

"You mean she was stupid enough to leave the barrier after we _told_ her not to?" Dilys asked, sighing and shaking her head. "Great. I guess now we have to go looking for her."

"What's going on?" a sleepy voice asked from behind Kale, as Yuli appeared in the doorway, White Blaze right behind him. Then his eyes lit up. "Ryo! Sage! You're okay!"

Ryo smiled and moved forward to ruffle Yuli's hair. "Yeah, we're okay," he said. "Have you seen Mia, Yuli?"

Yuli nodded. "Before I went to bed – she said something about going for a walk. I saw her head off in that direction." He pointed in the direction that they had positioned the staves.

"I'll go find her," Ryo said, turning. "At least if she went that way, she shouldn't have left the…" His voice trailed off.

"Ryo?" Volandra looked at him questioningly, then turned to follow his gaze. She tensed.

A figure was making their way towards them, carrying someone in his arms. As he got closer, she could see that he was wearing the ceremonial robes of a monk. Even closer, and she could make out that the person in his arms was Mia. Or was it? She frowned. Mia's hair had been red, not blonde – though all the other facial features matched perfectly. "Something is wrong…" She turned to Ryo, and stopped.

Her armor partner looked like he was seeing a ghost. Volandra looked around, and saw that everyone save her fellow Elementals and Micaela all seemed to be having the same reaction. Dais, Kale, Sekhmet, and Kayura, were especially pale.

The person stopped a few feet from the group, looking at all of them. "Thank god," he said softly, looking relieved. "You're all safe." Then he looked at Ryo, and a slight smile appeared. "Hello, Ryo."

Ryo stared at him, then swallowed hard. "Anubis."


	25. Kayura's Confusion

**Ronin Elementals**

**Prophecy of Power**

**Chapter Twenty-five: Kayura's Confusion**

Anubis carried Mia inside the mansion and laid her carefully on the couch, brushing his fingers through her hair and off her face. For a moment he stared at the blonde locks…it was so strange to see that color with that face. He had a hard time imagining her with any color other than her normal auburn.

He straightened up and turned to look at the group gathered.

Kale had gone upstairs to retrieve Chiara, and now the last member of the group had joined them, perched on Kale's lap with her head resting on his shoulder. Everyone else had managed to find places to sit in the room; as usual it was a tight fit, but they managed. Anubis looked around, and noticed that they seemed to be gravitating in pairs – even Dilys and Sage, who seemed to argue at every opportunity, were sitting near each other.

Dais fixed his gaze on Anubis, folding his arms over his chest and leaning against the wall. "How's this possible?" he demanded.

Anubis held up his hands and shook his head. "I don't know," he replied. "My spirit has been trapped inside the Ancient Staff for quite sometime. When the staff was placed to create the protective barrier around this mansion, I was able to materialize from it, though obviously still in spirit form. This was how I was able to converse with Mia." He looked at Kayura. "Kayura, also, knew that I was back."

Dais looked down at Kayura, who was sitting at his feet. "And you didn't say anything?"

"We got called away to the spaceport," Kayura replied. "There wasn't time. I had no idea he'd become corporeal in the meantime." She looked at Anubis. "I remember that there was something to wanted to talk to us about, but you didn't get a chance."

"Hai," Anubis said with a nod. "While I was in the process of explaining it to Mia, something happened… everything became covered in ice, and Mia began to freak out. When I tried to help her, I was drawn into a vision of when Mia was younger. When the vision cleared, she was as you see her now." He motioned to her. "From the vision, I was able to confirm my suspicions."

"Suspicions of what?" Ryo asked with a frown.

"That Mia is, in fact, Milanthra – one of the two missing Elementals," Anubis replied. He touched her forehead lightly. "She bore the mark of Chu, of Loyalty, on her forehead."

Volandra drew in a sharp breath, and looked at Chiara and Janna. "Chiara? Janna? Is she…?"

Both girls were looking at Mia. Chiara stood up, pulling out of Kale's arms. She went to Mia and took one of her hands, closing her eyes. Janna did the same.

Their own virtues shown on their foreheads, Obedience for Chiara, Piety for Janna. They pulsed faintly, as if weakened, then grew stronger.

On Mia's forehead, her kanji virtue shimmered into view.

The three symbols pulsed in time, until they suddenly faded.

Chiara opened her eyes and released Mia's hand. "It's her," she said, looking down at the other girl in amazement. "The connection is still weak, but it's certainly her. When…when Kale and I complete our armor, the power surge must have been enough to call Milanthra's own dormant powers out."

Micaela looked amazed. "So Mia is one of the missing Elementals," she breathed. "I did not think I would live to see them found."

"There's more," Anubis continued. "I have also discovered the identity of the final Elemental, Raven."

Chiara and Janna looked at him, stricken. They'd been together for years, only the two of them, never knowing what had happened to their comrades. Though they worked together with the other five, they lacked the intricate bond that Volandra, Trinity, Dilys, Kala, and Kia shared. Their bond, the power of the seasons, had been shattered when they'd been separated from Milanthra and Raven.

Was it really possible that that was about to end? Already they could feel their power growing, so close to Mia as she was now. "Who?" Chiara breathed. "Who is it?"

Anubis looked like he couldn't decide whether to be happy or sad that he was able to deliver the news. "Raven," he said, "is Kayura."

"What?" Dais' voice was sharp, sharper than necessary. Sitting on the floor at his feet, Kayura stared at Anubis in shock. "You can't be serious. How do you know?"

Anubis faced him. "Raven was born from the Ancient One's own tribe," he said. "Her mother was the only one not bound to the Oracle's Clan. When she was moved through time, she was sent several years into the past – rather, the current past. But through Talpa's manipulation and her own longevity from being both an Elemental and a Changeling, she continues to live in the present time. Her Elemental powers, however, have been completely sealed."

"That makes no sense," Kayura said, her voice hushed. "I have no memories…I've never even heard of the name Raven until all of this started."

He looked at her and smiled sadly. "I'm afraid that is most likely a consequence of the spells that Badamon had you placed under to keep you under the Dynasty's control," he said. "And you may never recover those memories. But that does not change the fact that the Elemental of Autumn, the Spider, is still inside of you."

"But if Mia's powers were awakened by the sudden surge of power that Kale and Chiara caused, why weren't Kayura's?" Kia asked.

"We were nowhere near the mansion when it happened," Rowen pointed out to her. "Most likely it was confined to just the one area. The winter didn't spread outside of the protected circle we created. The surge must not have, either."

"So all it would take would be another power surge, and Kayura's powers would wake up?" Kento asked. He grinned. "Cool."

"Not so cool," Dilys snapped. "Considering how the surge was created in the first place. I, for one, am not interested in playing guinea pig and trying to recreate it." Beside her, Sage rolled his eyes and exchanged a look with Ryo. Ryo flashed him a sympathetic glance.

Anubis raised his hands. "I think there may be an easier way to bring out her power," he said. He looked at Micaela. "Is it possible to induce her power?"

Micaela looked thoughtful. "Well," she said slowly, "I suppose. The four of you, plus your partners, may be able to draw it out. Mia would have to be awake, of course. But it is possible."

Anubis nodded. "Then we'll attempt that before we go the more drastic routes," he said.

"Excuse me," Kayura spoke up, her tone clipped as she rose to her feet, "but has it ever occurred to you to _ask_ me if I want these powers induced?"

Anubis blinked at her, and several heads turned to stare.

Kayura put her hands on her hips. "I'm not going to roll over and play Elemental just because you all want me to," she snapped. "We don't even know for certain that I _am_ Raven. As I said, I have no memories. I've never shown the slightest hint of her power, and the last thing I plan on doing is giving myself over to destiny and fate and let my life be decided by someone else. Maybe it's fine for the rest of you, but I won't do it. I'm done playing puppet." She spun on her heel and stomped out of the room. A moment later, they heard the sound of a door slam upstairs.

The four Warlords stared at each other, stunned. They couldn't remember Kayura ever going off on them like that before.

"Wow," Ryo muttered under his breath.

"Regardless of what she wants," Janna said, shaking her head, "if she is Raven, she doesn't have a choice." She sighed and rubbed her eyes. "None of us do. We're Elementals. That's what we're bound by. That's all that we are."

"You don't know Kayura," Rowen replied. "If she doesn't want to do something, she won't do it. No matter what any of us say."

Dais walked out of the room.

"Well," Cye said, watching him go. "It looks like this meeting is over. Who wants dinner?"

* * *

Dais knocked lightly on the door. He waited another moment, and knocked again. Finally he just opened the door, stepping into the dimly lit room.

Kayura was the only one of the girls who wasn't sharing a room. When Mia had added another wing onto the house for the growing number of people who seemed to be spending indeterminate amounts of time under her roof, she'd made sure that everyone would get their own rooms. He suspected that if the other Elementals planned on staying much longer, Mia would eventually just build an entire new house for them. It was starting to get crowded in the mansion, and that was saying something.

All of that was beside the point, though. The point was, Kayura had her own room, and she had shut herself up in it after she'd stormed out of the living room.

He closed the door behind him, and scanned the room for her. He found her sitting on the bed. "It's just me," he said. "I wanted to," he stopped in mid-sentence as a pillow smacked him in the face.

He let the pillow fall to the floor, and blinked. "…okay," Dais said after a moment. "What was that for?"

"Go away," Kayura said, her face buried in another pillow. Her entire body was hidden in that pillow, it seemed. She had it clutched in her arms and had wrapped herself around it completely.

"I can't do that," Dais replied.

"Yes, you can. Just turn around, turn the knob, and walk outside. Be sure to close the door again behind you."

"Stop that." The white-haired warlord reached out and snatched the pillow she was hiding behind away from her. "What's with you? It isn't like you to act so pitiful."

Kayura raised her head. "Pitiful?" she repeated. "_Pitiful?_ How dare you!" She grabbed the pillow and yanked it back. "How is wanting to live my own life instead of follow some predetermined destiny considered pitiful?"

"It's not," Dais said. "But there's a difference between wanting to create your own destiny, and actually being able to do it. And it _is_ pitiful that you're shutting yourself up in your room, hiding from everyone downstairs because you don't want to be part of the conversation." He took the pillow back.

"Give me that!" This time she kept her grip on the pillow, and yanked.

_Rrrip._

The explosion of feathers caught them both by surprise, and the pillow was forgotten as they tried to brush the feathers out of their hair and off their faces. Kayura glanced at Dais and started giggling – there was one lone, white feather resting atop his head that he'd completely missed.

"What?" he asked with a frown, glancing up, but of course was unable to the see the feather. "What is it?"

"Hold still." She stood and reached up, plucking the feather out of his hair. "There you go." She held it up for his inspection.

He looked at it and grinned ruefully. "I'm surprised you noticed it," he said. "It's the exact same color as my hair."

"A shade or two lighter," Kayura replied. She looked at the feather, then let it drop to the floor. There was a pile of feathers settling on the carpet. "Great. Now I have to clean this up. And get a new pillow." She bent down.

Dais grabbed her arm. "Later," he said, pulling her back up. She looked at him in surprise. "Right now we're talking."

"I really don't want to talk about this, Dais," Kayura said with a sigh.

He shook his head. "I'm sorry to have to be so blunt, Kayura, but I don't give a damn if you want to talk about it or not. We're talking. There's no time to be messing around on this."

She scowled.

"You can put it off all you want, but you know that deep down, Anubis is right," Dais went on. "You're Raven, like it or not. An Elemental. A Ronin. And my partner." His voice softened. "Is that really such a bad thing, Kayura?"

"No. Yes. I don't know." She turned away from him. "I'm…feeling very confused right now, Dais." She pressed her hand against her chest. "I've only just started to sort out who I am after what Badamon put me through, and now I'm not even sure if that's all true or not. I need some time to myself. I'm no use to anyone if I'm messed up in the head."

"But…"

Kayura flashed him a slightly smile. "Just give me some time, Dais. Besides…I've got a bad feeling about Mia. I think Anubis is going to have his hands full with her, and he's probably going to need your help."

Dais frowned. "A bad feeling…?"

Kayura nodded. "If I'm feeling confused just suspecting that I might have another personality living inside of me, imagine how she feels actually having one?" She gave him a slight shove. "Go on. Get out of here."

"All right." He turned the door.

"Oh, and Dais?"

He paused, hand resting on the doorknob. "Yeah?"

"Thanks for coming up here."

A smile. "Any time."


	26. Responsibility

**Ronin Elementals**

**Prophecy of Power**

**Chapter Twenty-Six: Responsibility**

Anubis turned another page in his book, his eyes idly skimming over the text. He hardly absorbed what it was telling him. His attention was continuously diverted to the girl sleeping in the bed beside his chair. Every time she made the slightest movement he put down the book, checking to see if she slept or not.

_Knock knock._

"Come in," Anubis said absently.

Dais walked in, closing the door behind him. "Any change?" he asked, nodding at Mia.

Anubis shook his head. "No change," he said softly. He set down his book. "She hasn't woken for almost twenty-four hours."

"You're surprised by that?" Dais raised an eyebrow. "From what you described, she got hit by an incredible backlash of energy, probably leftover from Chiara and Kale's escapades. Whatever happened triggered her power, and she blacked out. I wouldn't be surprised if she's out for a good, long time. And why shouldn't she be? Would you rather she woke up before she was ready?"

"No…that could be disastrous." Anubis folded his hands in his lap and sighed. "Whatever she has to work through in her mind, it's best that she does it before she wakes up."

Dais nodded slightly. "I remember when Kayura was released from Talpa's control and her memories returned to her," he said. "In public she put up a strong front, but in private, where only the three of us could see, she was a wreck. She didn't sleep for weeks, and it finally took Sekhmet slipping her sleeping pills before she was able to get a solid amount of rest. She had nightmares about her memories and what she'd been forced to do under Talpa."

"She did?" Anubis looked at Dais. "I didn't know that."

"The nightmares stopped after a few weeks, and we never talked about it," Dais replied. "She had a rough time, though, right in the middle of several rough times. The Dynasty was barely recovering from the final battles, and the three of us had our own ghosts to deal with. Poor thing, though…she never had a warrior's training like we did."

"She has the training she received from the Oracles."

"If you're referring to her Elemental training, that doesn't count." Dais leaned against the back of Anubis' chair. "She was five when she was taken away from the Oracles and sent to the Ancient One's clan in the future. She wouldn't remember."

"Hmm." Anubis tilted his head back to look up at Dais. "So you believe me? That Kayura is, in fact, Raven?"

"It's the most logical conclusion," Dais replied. "But that _doesn't_ mean she's willing to see the logic. She still won't come out of her room for anything other than meals." He sighed, hanging his head, his long white hair falling over his face.

"Depressed?"

"No," Dais replied, "more like she's just avoiding the possibility. I suspect she's worried that you'll try to induce her power like you said you would." He narrowed his good eye at Anubis. "I could kill you for that suggestion, by the way."

Anubis frowned. "It's the easiest way to go about accomplishing it," he said. "It's impractical to wait for a power surge like the one Chiara and Kale created. From what I understand Sekhmet and Janna ignore each other, and the others are all too young for us to even think about condoning such an experiment."

"And did you ever stop to think how that would make Kayura feel?" Dais asked. "She's had enough experience with people screwing around in her head. Or people deciding what the best course of action for her life is."

Anubis' cheeks colored. "My suggestion was nothing like the perversion Talpa introduced on her mind," he said hotly. "Not even close."

"Close enough," Dais replied. "Don't act like you know her anymore, Anubis. Let's face it, you never really did. You were gone, in training for succeed the Ancient One, when Talpa introduced her into our unit. You never even fought alongside her, only against her, since you died the moment she was freed. And now you've been stuck inside a damn golden stick for two years, while she, Sekhmet, Kale and I were left to pick up the pieces. You don't know her, Anubis. You don't even have enough of a clue to make an educated guess about what goes on in her head."

"And you do?"

"More than you." Dais stepped back from the chair and walked over to the door. "Welcome back, Anubis. But you better understand something. You're not the leader anymore. I am. And not because I have the strongest armor or the most power. I'm the leader because I _know _my team, and you don't. And I'll be damned if I'm going to give up that position until I'm positive you're ready to handle the job." Before Anubis could respond, the Spider of Illusion disappeared through the door, closing it firmly behind him.

Anubis glared at the closed door. The gall of Dais…how dare he hint that Anubis had anything but Kayura's best interests at heart! Inducing Kayura's power as Raven was the only logical course of action given the current situation. There was no doubt that the Leviathans were rapidly growing in power. It would only be a matter of weeks, possibly days, before they prepared to move their strike beyond Toyama.

Though none of that mattered if Mia continued to remain unconscious. The only way for inducement to succeed would be for all three of the Seasons to pull together to draw the power out of Kayura. Something that just simply would not happen as long as Mia remained separated from the world.

Anubis reached out and cupped Mia's hand in his. Two years, he realized, and her hand was still as delicate as it had been the first time he'd held it. Physically she hadn't changed at all, or at least not noticeably. And himself…well, he was immortal. He would have stayed the same age regardless of whether he had died or not. Free thinking or not, no amount of magic could reverse the spell that Talpa had placed on his four warlords. For a long time, he never gave any thought to whether or not he would have wanted it removed. The immortality, like everything else he had, was his by right. Or so he had thought at the time Talpa had made him his offer.

Then had come the four hundred years of watching the people close to him age and die, over and over. At first, Anubis had attempted to live his life in the Mortal Realm and serve Talpa from within. Fifty years had been more than enough to convince him that with his new power came the price of being unable to lead his old life. But that was fine with him…he was destined for greater things. Much greater things.

Anubis was the youngest of the four Warlords, but he had been chosen first. As a result, he had become the de facto leader, the one with the most experience. Talpa had decreed it, and Dais, Kale, and Sekhmet had gone along with it easily enough.

But though he had lived for hundreds of years, his mind remained the youngest. He had been taken at an age when he was certain of his worth in the world, that he alone could achieve glory. That he was necessary. And he continued to live out his immortal life with those same thoughts in mind, becoming darker and darker…until the day he'd met the Ancient One.

Anubis closed his eyes. Becoming the Ancient One's pupil had been the most enlightening moment of his life. Casting aside his armor, taking up the staff and the position of the Ronin Warriors' guide, it had all been in an attempt to remove himself from his former life.

Then he had died. And not in service of the Ancient One's ways, but in service of the armor he had tried to separate himself from.

The armor that Kayura now held.

Anubis put his book on the table and headed out into the hallway. Kayura's door was closed, which he expected. And thank god Dais was nowhere in sight, because he really didn't want to deal the white-haired man right then. He knocked once.

"Who is it?" Kayura called from inside.

"It's Anubis," he replied. "May I come in?"

Silence.

"Kayura?"

"Fine." There was a click as the lock turned in the door.

Anubis pushed open the door and went inside. The room was dim, and it took him a moment to locate Kayura near the window. Anubis closed the door quietly behind him.

"What do you want?" Kayura asked, leaning against the windowsill. "Did you come to tell me what to do again? To make me question who or what I am?"

"No," Anubis replied. "I already made my feelings on that matter clear."

"Then what?" She looked at him, a frown on her young face. Anubis felt a slight pang in his chest – her immortality had trapped her at an even younger age than his had.

"The armor," Anubis said. "My armor. I need it back."

Kayura looked at him blankly for a moment. "Oh," she said after a moment. "Was that all?"

"Yes."

"Okay." Kayura turned away from him. "Get out."

Anubis narrowed his eyes. "I'm not joking around here, Kayura. I'm absolutely serious. I need that armor back."

Kayura sighed in irritation. "Can't you get it through your head that _I_ do _not_ want to _talk_ to you?" she demanded, standing up and walking over to her closet. She reached into a trunk and pulled out a small pouch, and handed it to him. "Treat it nicely, and get out."

Anubis took the pouch. He could feel the armor radiating inside of his, reacting almost the instant he took it into his hand. He closed his eyes for a moment, feeling the power sliding through his body. His fist closed around the armor orb, and he shivered slightly.

Kayura stared at him. "I've never seen someone react to holding their armor like that before," she said.

Anubis opened his eyes. "You've never seen an armor accept someone before, then," he said. "Usually it's only an once-in-a-lifetime deal, but I suppose since I died the armor felt the need to have to reaccept me."

"Oh." Kayura stared at the pouch, and the orb inside of it. "It never did that to me, even though I wore it."

"Well, the armors can be worn by other people, but the full power isn't there unless the armor chooses them," Anubis said. "I suppose an Elemental can't be chosen to be a true armor bearer."

"Then that's not something I need to worry about," Kayura replied. "Since I'm _not_ an Elemental."

"Kayura…"

"_No!_" Kayura turned her back on him again. "You said you wouldn't say anything more about it. You've got your armor, now get out of here, Anubis. I don't want to talk about this, to you, any more."

Anubis looked at her for a moment. "All right," he said quietly. "Thank you, Kayura." He turned and left the room, without another word.

Mia was still lying on the bed when he reentered her room. Her eyes were still closed, and she was perfectly still. She hadn't moved from her position.

Anubis sat down beside the bed again. He opened the pouch and removed the small yellow orb, fingering it. It was glowing slightly. "I wonder," he murmured. "Do I dare don you again? I can feel you calling to me. Am I ready to take up that responsibility again?"

"Either way," a familiar, and yet so unfamiliar, voice said, "you'll just be in the way." Anubis' head jerked up, a fist slammed into his face, and everything went dark.


End file.
